✧.* best friend!caleb comforts you after your boyfriend breaks up with you
the day your boyfriend breaks up with you, is one of the most horrible days of your life. until caleb is right on your doorstep. your face is still swollen from all the crying and you avoid his gaze.
„now, now. stop this“, he says, ruffling your hair. you let out a groan.
„he literally just broke up with me. I’m allowed to cry.“
he strolls into your apartment. „not under my watch.“ only then you realize that he is holding a bag of groceries in his hand, walking directly into your kitchen. reluctantly you follow him, watching him as he unpacks all your favorite treats, including a big bucket of icecream. he pulls out a big spoon, and then escorts you to your couch.
„sit“, he orders. after you sit down, he takes the blanket and wraps you up in it. then he sits next to you, the ice cream in one hand, the spoon in the other.
„open up.“ he holds the spoon in front of your mouth. reluctantly you take a spoonful. the sweet and salty taste of caramel hits your tongue and you close your eyes, sighing softly. when you open your eyes again, calebs eyes are fixed on your mouth. he gulps.
„why are you looking at me like that?“, you whisper.
he looks up again, directly into your eyes. then he shakes his head. „eat.“
you raise a brow. „I thought you were here to comfort me. not to order me around.“
„I can do both.“ the spoon is in front of your mouth again. „now do as I say.“
you keep your eyes fixed on his, as you take the spoon in your mouth. you take your time, licking the underside of the spoon clean, and enjoy the quick flutter of your broken heart, when his gaze drops to your mouth again. he mutters a curse.
„what is it?“ your question sounds breathless.
„you’re single now.“ it’s not a question, nor an answer. and yet you understand the meaning behind his words, just as you understand the redness on his cheeks.
„caleb …“, you whisper.
that’s it. just his name on your lips, and he’s on you. his lips on yours, cold and sweet, and full of passion. his thumb caresses your chin, your cheeks, then your neck, and you can’t believe that this is really happening. that caleb – your best friend – is kissing you utterly senseless. he keeps on kissing you, until your hands are in his hair, until he pulls you onto his lap, until there’s nothing in your head except his name, again and again. after a while he withdraws, holding your face in his hands. you feel like you’re flying, blinking slowly.
„you’re very good at comforting, you know that?“, you whisper.
he laughs. the sound alone lets you forget why your heart was broken in the first place.
„I’ll keep doing that, if you let me“, he murmurs.
you nod, and he kisses you again. a kiss that tastes like ice cream, sweet and comforting, and like something that could very quickly become your favorite thing on earth.
When he said those sweet words that were reserved for the Main Character, you pretended not to hear.
Of course you knew that he meant them, even if only a bit. You weren’t confident in your ability to attract others but you were too old to be naive. It was only natural that a lonely man would fall for the first person to give him a shred of warmth, especially since you spent so much time together. You have no doubt that his feelings were true, but for how long? From the other side of the fourth wall, it was easy to be certain about everything, that his love will withstand every storm for the great heroine. But what of you? In your world, no one can say with absolute certainty that romantic love was so pure and kind and strong. Men and women across various periods swore oaths, sang songs and wrote poetry of it since time immemorial, but did anyone actually find love everlasting? Maybe. But it was a concept too out of reach for you.
One would have a higher chance meeting a mythological creature than finding true love.
People back in the “real world” playfully called you bitter and resentful, without a drop of romance in your body, but they had it backwards: it was because you were a hopeless romantic that you doubted every piece of tenderness you received. Healthy, boring, so-called ideal relationships would never be enough. You didn’t want cheap affection, you yearned for the raw, all-consuming, time-withstanding love worthy of immortalization, not unlike the one the main character has with her love interests.
So even if this world was a living breathing reality on its own without a predestined ending, you were still just an NPC. Yes, a supporting character. Nothing more. If you allow yourself to dream any more than that, you’ll get greedy and when his real beloved comes along, or if he finds out the ugly parts of you, you will be left with nothing but a broken heart.
He called your name and you couldn't ignore him anymore.
Forcing yourself the brightest, gentlest smile possible, you turned to face him. “You shouldn't carelessly throw those words around, otherwise misunderstandings will happen.”
Before he could reply, you looked away again so he couldn't see your lips trembling. "Don’t worry, you’ll meet someone better than you could ever hope for."
That's right, someone literally tailored to his taste and who complements him in every way. Someone who wasn't you.
A/N: It involves a non-MC reader so I hope you enjoy it! I'll be exploring the concept in the future, especially with Sylus because I don't know how to do it with the others yet lol. I wasn't supposed to post this but I just needed to share it with the world.
Edit: had to change a few things to avoid confusion.
“You really like that sweater, don’t ya, Pipsqueak?”
You turn around slowly to face Caleb, a sheepish smile tugging up at the corners of your lips. You lift your hands to your face, which are covered by the sleeves of his sweater, and you nuzzle your nose into the fabric, inhaling deeply. You love how soft it is, how his scent lingers on it, how it reminds you of his warmth.
“Just a bit,” you tell him as he approaches you. You wrap your arms around yourself, enveloping your body in the oversized sweater – it almost feels like a hug from him.
He lifts your arms, and inspects how loosely the sweater hangs off of your frame. “It’s a little big on you,” he muses, waving your arms up and down as you laugh. “But since you love it so much, why don’t you just keep it?”
You immediately peel out of it, and hand it to him. He takes it from you, and looks at you expectantly with an eyebrow raised.
“Nah,” you say, trying to keep your tone light. “It looks better on you. Besides, it’s no good to me if it ends up smelling more like me than you.”
“You’re right,” he chuckles, tossing the sweater onto the bed. He places a hand on the top of your head and rubs your hair gently as he inspects your progress. “How’s packing going?”
You sigh, your eyes flicking to your open suitcase. There are only a few articles of clothing in it so far, and some bottles of skincare. To be honest, you’ve been procrastinating packing for this work trip. You hate the thought of leaving Caleb and not seeing him for the next two months.
“It’s… going, I guess…” you admit, hesitantly. “It could be going… more?”
“Do you really have to go?” he mutters, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind, his chin resting on top of your head.
“I wish I didn’t,” you sigh again. “But the Association needs more of us stationed at the new base just for a few weeks. I’ll be back before you know it.”
You continue to take clothes from your dresser as Caleb hangs onto your back like a koala hanging onto a tree. He watches as you choose between different shirts and pants, as you toss some into your suitcase and as you return some of them to the dresser.
“Are you really going to stay there while I pack?” you ask him. He moves along with you while keeping his arms around your waist.
“Just let me enjoy this,” he says, his arms squeezing you tighter. “Soon, I’ll have to endure eight weeks of not being able to do it.”
—
You let out a long, heavy sigh as you finish writing up another report. It’s been a month since your new assignment, and so far, your days are filled with eventless scouting trips and mountains of paperwork that follow after. Your eyes glaze over as you inspect your screen and take a look at your schedule for the next day. It’s more or less filled with the same activities as previous days – go out, take some readings, go back to the office, write up reports. At least you’re halfway through your assignment – only four more weeks until you get to go home again.
Ugh. Only halfway? It feels like it’s been an eternity.
You hate to admit it, but you’re a little homesick. You miss your own bed, you miss your place, but mostly you miss Caleb. Him and his home cooked meals. You’re stuck eating whatever they provide at the cafeteria, and they’re the same dishes day in and day out. You can’t wait until you’re back home, eating his braised chicken, nodding with enthusiasm when he asks you, “Is it good? Do you like it?”
You’re about to finish up for the day when you hear your name being called from across the room of empty desks. It’s one of your juniors, and he’s waving in your direction.
“Package for you!”
For me?
You watch as he makes his way to your desk, accept the parcel from him, then thank him for getting it to you. You wait for him to leave before inspecting it. It’s a small box, and you cradle it comfortably in your arms. The label is addressed to you, with Caleb’s name in the field where the sender’s name is.
You’re not expecting anything from him, and he didn’t tell you that he was sending anything. Hell, you don’t even remember telling him the address of the base – but you know he has his ways of finding out. You shake it, but don’t hear anything inside it that would give you any hints of what its contents are.
You pack your desk up quickly, and scoop up the box with one arm. Curiosity eats away at you, but you decide to open it at your apartment – you have no idea what Caleb would have sent you, and you kind of don’t want any of your lingering coworkers to find out with you.
—
You’re back at your apartment – the one the Association has provided for your short stay – and you close the door behind you, taking your shoes off haphazardly at the entrance. You take the box and place it on the kitchen counter, searching for anything in the kitchen that could help you open it. All you can find is a large knife, and you cautiously slice at the tape with it, taking extra care not to hurt yourself with the knife.
You manage to pry the box open, and you’re met with a layer of plastic wrapping. You peel it back with shaking hands, and the smell hits you before anything else. Your throat immediately feels tight and tears start to blur your vision. You lift the contents of the box up, and hold it out in front of you – it’s Caleb’s sweater. The one you were wearing while you were packing for this trip. Tears stream down your cheeks as you press the sweater into your face. You inhale deeply, once, twice, three times. It smells like the cologne you had bought Caleb for his birthday last year – it smells like apples and cinnamon. It smells like him. It smells like home.
Soon the sweater is covered in your tears, but you don’t care. You know you can’t wash it because the smell will go away. After nuzzling your face in it for what feels like half an hour, you set it down gingerly on the counter. There’s a small piece of paper on the counter – it probably fell out of the sweater, and your eyesight was probably too hazy with tears to have noticed it before.
You pick it up, and read it. It’s in Caleb’s handwriting. The tears start to flow again as you read the note in his voice.
Hey, Pipsqueak. Hope you’re missing me. Here’s a little something to remind you of home. See you soon.
Apple boy had done it again! I mean he really did give us a “wonderful” night for us to leave marks ok the man. And CALEB IN A APRON IS MAKING ME GOR FERAL! 🍎 😩✨💕
So I touched grass and since it didn’t work I wrote this smut again, Inspired by one of my old writings of Nanami and Y/N. Anyway…
NOTE!!! ‼️ Everything written is consensual between both parties and has been discussed before or it has happened before. ‼️
Warnings⚠️ : let’s just say some… because I forgot.. (lol not forgot I am lazy to type them out)
Paring: Caleb X F!MC (one shot smut not much backstory or anything)
Enjoy the smut and check out the other head cannons I wrote too:
Links below:
1: First headcannon
2: Second headcannon
3: Third headcannon
4: Fourth headcannon
Enjoy the Smut!
The sunlight from the crack of the curtain hit your eyes. Rubbing your eyes you woke up. Your back is hurting and your legs feel sore. Last night was exhausting and exquisite.
Caleb is sleeping beside you. Naked like you. The sunlight from the thin white curtains hitting his body in the right spots made him look godly.
Your clothes are scattered like bread crumbs around leaving trails of last nights activity you did.
You got up from bed freeing yourself for Caleb’s hand that was draped across you hips caressing your ass.
You blush looking at the nakedness as you look at yourself in the large mirror on the dressing table in front you.
Getting up from the bed slowly you pick up Caleb’s shirt and put it on and walk towards the kitchen to make breakfast
You put on some music and open the fridge to get some eggs and flour from the cupboard above it.
Pancakes is the best breakfast after sex. You thought giggling to yourself and start making them.
Lost in the music whisking the eggs you didn’t realise Caleb had come over to the kitchen looking for you.
Swaying your hips to the music he came behind you a slid his hands across you hips
Started you winced at the contact and turned around to see him looking at you.
“Good morning pipsqueak“ he whispered in your ears.
Your ears are turning red from the nickname you greeted him back “‘morning Caleb”
He smiled hearing his name from you lips.
"You're wearing my shirt," He praised as he ran his hands down your waist and slowly pulled up the shirt to reveal you aren’t wearing anything underneath it.
He runs his hands down to your pussy feeling you are wet. Ready for him as always.
He pulled you on top of the kitchen table.
"I'm starved." He smirked, pulling you to the edge of the table and exposing you to him. Your whole body burnt to be touched by him and you watched as he wasted no time with teasing you. His tongue slid over you, between every fold, lapping up your arousal as if it was the last meal he was ever going to have.
"Oh god," You cried out as he began to swirl his tongue over your clit, sucking harshing as you jerked your hips up involuntarily. Every time you moved his grip on your waist would tighten and he dragged you into him, delving his tongue deeper inside of you as your head rolled back against the wooden table.
"Don't give him all the credit, it's me that's going to make you cum," He hummed against your clit making your body shake. He once again took your labia in his much and began sucking on it, moving his tongue with precision over every inch of your sensitive flesh. He could never get enough of making you moan out the way that you were.
"Taste so fucking good, my good fucking girl." He moaned out causing you to squirm in his grasp, bucking against him as he began to massage your clit with his fingers,
"Look at you, squirming and so close when I've barely done anything to you," His mouth went to work on you again and soon you were wiggling and moaning his name out so loud you were sure your neighbours were going to complain. Your fingers laced into his dark locks as you bucked against him.
"Please...Caleb, Please..." Your words come out in chokes as he continued to rub you faster, his tongue plunging in and out of you mercilessly.
"You wanna come baby?" You nodded eagerly as he chuckled darkly, his fingers on your clit getting faster as he watched your uncontrollable hips bucking.
"Please, please, please!" You begged as the pressure started to feel too much for you to hold back any longer.
"Cum," It was one word and you were undone by it all. Cumming around his tongue as your toes curled against the table, your whole body ached as you cried his name out.
"Good baby," He chuckled as he carefully kissed his way up to your lips, pressing kisses all over your face as you let out small whimpers.
“Go take a shower. I’ll finish breakfast for you.”
You looked confused and asked
“No breakfast for you?”
He smirked wiping his lips “I already ate breakfast”
You walk towards the bathroom smacking his arm surprised and blushing by his answer.
A love that was so certain for another yet here you are, hoping the tides would carry your love to their feet, only to be fragmented by the gentle waves, dissipating your being into the vast ocean - cold, dark, and alone.
tags: angst, hurt/no comfort, side character death, caleb x reader if you squint, slow burn-ish, no beta we die like men, reader is not mc, xavier is here but a literal blip of a second, zayne x mc x reader x caleb
a/n: i'm sorry if theres any inconsistencies here and there. it has been literally years since i wrote anything really so i hope you enjoy this little first piece :) also @cosmoszyn here you go! cross-posted at ao3 as well
Chapter 1
“When we get bigger, let’s get married!” an innocence declaration by a little girl. “What about me?” a little boy chirped in. “I will!” another girl beamed. Two little boys blushed until their ears turned red and two little girls giggled away on the thought of their happily ever after.
A distant memory plays in your mind as you twirl the pen at your desk. Writing the mission report gets easier as time goes but it is still a hassle. You glanced at the clock on your desktop, 30 minutes before clocking off. Well, time will pass anyway so you might as well get the job done and end the day without any work burden tomorrow. As you clack your words on your keyboard, your phone vibrates and a red dot appears on your messaging app. Somehow, without even opening, you already know who it is from. Wrapping up your report and hitting that submit button, you packed your stuff and ended the day.
Your thumb swipes up and reads the message. Of course, it is from Zayne. “Are you done for today?” he texted. You reply with a quick “Yeah” and see the triple dots waved besides Zayne’s avatar. “Okay. Just wait for me at the hospital gate. I’ll be done when you reach there”. A quick and swift instruction from Zayne. You react to the message with a thumbs up and picking up the pace to the meeting spot. Exactly 3 months ago, an explosion occurred in your neighborhood. Turns out it was Josephine’s house. The fire was so sudden and intense, there was no public release on the actual cause that robbed three of your most beloved people in your life. That eased your transition in a new place as a new kid in the neighborhood. You can never forget how warm Josephine’s house was. Grandma Josephine, Caleb and MC were so welcoming to you and inevitably, the four of you, adding Zayne, were friends before you knew it. The gravity of losing two of your childhood friends and a coworker is something no one could prepare you for. A part of your soul was also buried at their wakes. But what devastated you even more was seeing Zayne during it. His beloved was buried without him ever getting a chance to express. You guess, in a way, grief is all of the unexpressed love, as they said.
You reach Akso’s Hospital gates before you know it. Time flies when you are so lost in thought. Zayne was already waiting for you with eyebags even worse than before. Your heart aches for him, not only for the physical condition that he is in but also the way you still have to compete with the ghost of MC. The both of you, in a way, yearn for the other silently, waiting for the tides to finally brush at their feet and realize that they were already being loved. So, so loved. Alas, fate has always been cruel. “Hey. Ready?” you speak. Zayne nods, picking up a paper bag on the ground and walks you to his car. The both of you took off to a road leading to a serene place.
Your relationship with Zayne is like a hot bath after a tiring day. You don’t need to interact with each other closely and frequently but by presence alone was enough to fill up the underlying message. The kind where the other shows up when needed and unwinds the tangled up mind. Where subconsciously, a steady love sprouts within you but hidden deep at the corner of your heart, forever growing away from the outside world.
Three tombstones with familiar names etched on them. Everything is still in pristine condition as if it is mocking, saying time has never really moved and the three months that had passed was just an illusion. A relativity. That the explosion, the wake and funeral just happened yesterday. Zayne placed three bouquets of flowers on each of the tombstones, with one that lingers slightly longer than the others. “She’s always been a fan of jasmines” you break the silence, only to be responded with a sorrowful stillness. It was too much for Zayne to respond. Silently, Zayne wonders if jasmines were a curse to him now than a blessing. “Let’s go.” as Zayne turns his body around, not wanting to stay a moment longer. Afraid that he will lose himself after losing his heart, buried six feet under MC's tombstone.
You know the ending to the story you embarked upon. You know that happily ever after does not exist with Zayne yet your heart is at odds with your mind once again. “We’re still friends. Staying at each other’s side is what friends do” is what you keep telling yourself. A delusional reason as to why you sail through the treacherous storm in order to be at his side. You know your heart is taking the brunt of the damage yet you did not care. A tiny ember of hope keeps you hailing the sails, praying it will reach its destination soon. You have already waited years for Zayne, what’s another year or two would change that. Until it actually did.
You and Zayne volunteer for a mission in Skyhaven, as part of a request by the Farspace Fleet on eradicating an area of Wanderers in an abandoned city area. It was just another normal Hunter mission, nothing too crazy based on the mission details. You and Zayne worked together numerous times before so it has become a second nature to the both of you. As you scout the area, you see a group of Wanderers surrounding someone but you can’t make out the silhouette due to the heavy rain. You rush to the scene and before you could even pull the trigger, you heard a familiar voice. Two voices. Two voices that you have longed for to hear once again yet here you are, heard it loud and clear. As you inch closer to the scene, your brain could not comprehend what image befalls in front of you right now. It was MC and Caleb, alive and well. Even better, bickering with each other while the Wanderers are already on the ground in a split second. A scene too familiar. A scene that felt like home once more. Your legs move faster before you could even think, you jump and hug both of them, wailing your hearts out. “How is this even possible? We went to your house. I went to your house. It was burnt down. They said the fire was so intense that there was not a single formed body left. Everything was burnt to a crisp.” as you choked out a sob at every other word. MC and Caleb looked at each other and returned the embrace. You couldn’t even bother to ask why and how for now. All you know is that your home is here once more.
As you return back to base with the two of them, you assist MC to the infirmary to get treated. You see her bandages turned red, a sign a wound opened up. Your joy of meeting them overshadows the other side of the coin that is about to get flipped as well. As you sat MC down, Zayne was frozen in place. Time stood still for the three of you even though you could hear the wall clock ticking. Zayne rushes to where MC was sitting, disregarding your presence next to her. His knees could no longer hold his body weight as he came crashing down to MC, his head on her lap, arms around her waist. There are no tears, no words spoken yet in that silence, it was loud, blaring even. An earth-shattering realization hits you as the two of them are lost in their own world. Witnessing the event unfolds, you feel somehow your right to be near them has been revoked. You walked away. Your heart aches once more, upon fate, upon a clear future that you know will unravel on its own, whether you like it or not. It feels as if a prophecy is being retold once again.
As you walk out from the infirmary, making your way to reconvene with other Hunters, two taps on your shoulder, making their presence behind you known to you. You turned your back and saw Caleb, in his uniform, looking as dashing as ever. “Caleb!” you squealed, hugging him once again. His chuckle vibrated across his body, making you snuggle into him even more, not wanting to let go. Oh how you missed this, more than you would like to admit. “Woah woah someone really missed me huh” he teases. You looked up, with tears brimming up. Caleb swifts his thumbs across your waterline, erasing the tears before it could cascade across our beautiful face, staring into your eyes inherently. His hands cradled your face and naturally you placed yours on top of his. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here now. You’re alright. We’re alright” he reassures. His reliance was still there. So many things have happened in a short time yet you’re relieved that familiarity knocked into your life once more. “I know there’s a lot of questions in your head right now but I’ll explain everything later. I’ll find you once I’m done with my work. You’ll have all of me soon enough”. You nod and hesitantly distance yourself from him, continuing your steps to your meeting.
The tranquility of Skyhaven skyline adorns your view, calming the chaos residing in your heart right now. So many questions now after you cleared up your head. As if on cue, Caleb’s voice chimes in your space. “There you are”. You glance sideways, a gesture to acknowledge his presence. “What actually happened Caleb. Tell me. Please”, you pose the question. Caleb sighs, breathing the air deeply. You patiently wait for his response with zero expectations. Nothing can shock you more than seeing the dead come back to life. “I cannot give you in full details but it was a necessary step. A precaution before things take turns for the worse. Much worse. But we were lucky, I would say. Grandma didn’t make it”. Caleb explains briefly. You were unsatisfied with the answer but understand Caleb’s position. Being a colonel, no task comes easy and information is highly classified. “I get that but you could at least let us know earlier or right after you know? Grieving was not easy Caleb. You should see what Zayne was like for the first few weeks.” as you recalled Zayne’s horrible state. A scene that you wish you never have to witness ever again. Zayne totally collapsed. Your friend who was known to not wear his emotions out, stoic and cold from his coworkers, crumbled. He wasn’t able to clock in for the first week, barely goes out and eats. You had to force food and liquid down his throat just so that he would not die due to starvation and dehydration, even though it felt like grief would take him first.
You were there at every step of the way through his grief, not once complaining. Zayne’s existence becomes your center as you deal with Zayne’s antics. Once he’s well enough to go to work, he picked up three to four double shifts every week, in hopes the work will drown the thoughts of MC, making him breathe even just a little bit. He shuts you out. Didn’t pick up your calls, read your texts, but somehow still sees your stories that you post. At times, you felt like you lost three people instead of two. You felt as if Zayne was also fading away from your life, so you became reckless in your missions afterwards. Diving head first before anything, fighting everything. In a way, that was your release as well. You tried to ground yourself for Zayne’s sake but no one held you when it mattered. Until an unfortunate timing, a Wanderer slashed your whole arm, your muscles torn so deeply you swore you almost saw your bones poking through the view. Xavier killed off the Wanderer then ripped off his shirt, tying your arms, hoping to reduce the blood loss. You were in and out of consciousness and before you knew it, everything went black.
You woke up to a sterile ceiling, lights blaring into your vision, trying to adjust yourself to the current space. A hospital. That’s the only thing your mind can make up the room you are in. You tried to recall your last memory, albeit a bit hazy. A dragging sound made you whip your head to the sound, and you stared in disbelief. Zayne stood up and walked towards you. He takes your vitals and notes down in your chart before returning back to just Zayne, not a doctor but an old friend. You almost cried seeing the scene unfold and Zayne picked it up. He held your hand and met your eyes with full solace. “Please, I beg you, please, never do that again. I don’t think I can make it if you’re gone as well”. Those words were enough. It’s not even a love declaration but it was enough to make you choose to tread through those waters. It was one-sided, God you know it all too well yet you chose him again and again.
After resting up a few days in Skyhaven and patching things up for the mission, it’s time to return to Linkon. You pack your stuff in the quiet of the night, before you hear a knock on the door. You weren’t expecting anyone but you guessed it was just Caleb or MC but no, it is Zayne. “Can I come in?”. You nod and open the door wider, letting him into your room. You sit at the edge of the bed while Zayne fiddles around the decorations in the room, hoping those trinkets would ease the choked up words in his throat. You sit there silently, curiously. You haven’t seen this side of Zayen before. “I’m thinking of staying here, at Skyhaven” he broke the silence, eyes still on the trinkets. Your eyes widened, not entirely sure how to respond, surely baffled by his statement. “What do you mean by “staying”?. “As in, staying here permanently, at least for now. Maybe take a break from the hospital and help the station here”. You don’t like to pry too much on Zayne but if you don’t do it now, you feel like you would lose him forever. “Are you saying you want to abandon your job at Akso?”. “In a sense, yes, though my position won’t get affected too much. Think of it as a long-term volunteer mission here instead”. You couldn’t believe your ears. You know Zayne is a very realistic person so when he responded with a mediocre reasoning, you couldn’t wrap your head around it. Actually, no. It’s not that you couldn’t, you don’t want to. “Just spit out the real reason, Zayne," you replied. Zayne sighs and finally looks at you. “You know the answer yourself, y/n. I don’t think I need to spell this one out”. You can feel your heart starting to crack but you pushed through your overthinking. “No, I do not. Not until you tell me straight up”. “I don’t think I can be apart from MC anymore. I need her in my life. The universe gave me another chance to win her back. I will not let her slip away again. Not the second time. Never again”. Before you could fight back, he cuts your thoughts “This is goodbye y/n. I thank you for what you did to me and I could never repay what you have done but I don’t think I could ever live my life in Linkon, knowing she’s here. I will stay beside her, every step of the way. I wish you safe travels tomorrow”. He pats your shoulder and gives it a firm squeeze, before excusing himself out from your room.
An excruciating painful silence engulfs the room and here you are, sitting there alone, left to your own spiraling thoughts. The storm suddenly stops and you are left with a still ship, in the middle of the ocean, pitch black with no winds catching in your sails. You can feel yourself drifting away, allowing the darkness to swallow you whole. What use of a ship journeying further if the destination ashore has submerged itself in ashes. You know what you’re getting yourself into but it did not make it easier. Finally, the tears fell but only this time, once again, no one was there to catch it. You storm off out of the room to wherever your body takes you but you fail to notice that Zayne witnesses your escapade. He knows he could lay it out better, softer even. You have always been there for him, throughout all of the highs and lows but he also knows he can’t betray where his heart lies. He knows he can’t choose you out of obligation, as repayment for what you have done to him. He would be eternally grateful to you but his heart rests upon someone else.
THE LOVE & DEEPSPACE MLS AND THEIR KDRAMA COUNTERPARTS (CALEB VER.)
MASTERLIST
NOTE(S): did this for the other mls some time ago (view the post here), so here's the caleb version for the caleb girlies!
choi seunghyo from love next door - caleb had always been the reliable childhood friend next door, the person whom you would always turn to whenever you wanted to hang out or have a good time. and caleb would always be down to hang out. even if you two had argued earlier, he would never let that petty argument come between the both of you and would always hang out, no matter what.
kang bogyeol/jung kiho from castaway diva - like bogyeol/kiho, caleb would only ever love you. in the off-chance you have gone missing, he will search the entire universe for you. it does not matter if he has scoured the entire universe for you, he will try other planets next. you have to be out there somewhere, and he firmly believes that it is only a matter of time until he finds you.
zero nine from my absolute boyfriend - no one else matters but you. it is only ever you. even if other girls try to hit on him, he is going to ignore them all, because he only cares about you. you best believe he is going to be your personal bodyguard and keep any stray guys, creeps, or exes away from you. he will also only ever wait for you, because he knows that you are the only right person for him.
i know, i know you wanna hear me say that i, i want you - love u by monsta x
caleb x reader | bit of angst + fluff + suggestive | 1.7k words
“No fucking way!”
Caleb grits his teeth as he listens to you cackle at some random guy’s lame joke. He usually loves hearing you laugh, but tonight, it’s grating on his ears. He wants to roll his eyes, but instead opts to drink from his cup of jungle juice to hide his grimace.
Yeah, no fucking way. No fucking way you would find that kind of shit even remotely funny.
He didn’t even understand the guy’s joke. Something about getting raptured by sexy aliens. He watches in disdain as you playfully slap at this stranger’s arm, as he leans in closer to you to whisper something in your ear. A little too close for Caleb’s comfort. You laugh again, completely oblivious to the dark look on Caleb’s face as he sits on the couch across from you and your new friend.
You had begged, absolutely pleaded with your best friend to accompany you to this house party. At first, Caleb had flat out told you “no”, but you had teased him about being holed up in his apartment, only going out to work, the gym, and getting groceries, never getting the chance to meet anyone new or have fun.
“Come on, Caleb,” you had crooned, your eyes wide and pleading. “It would be so lame if I went by myself. We’ll have so much fun, I promise. Please?”
“Fine, fine,” he had finally relented, knowing the second he had given you what you wanted, that he would regret it.
He sighs, realizing that you had technically kept half of your promise – you were having fun, but he felt like he was in the third circle of hell. Well, he was pretty sure the third circle of hell was being overstimulated at a house party, watching the best friend he fell in love with flirt and get handsy with different people.
He considers going home, citing not feeling well, but knowing you would call bullshit. He also weighs out the possibility of someone shady getting a hold of you, and the thought of that keeps him seated on the couch, watching you shamelessly flirt. He watches you down your fourth cup of jungle juice, then stand from where you’re sitting, wobbling slightly.
“I’m going to get another drink,” you announce, your hand lingering on the stranger’s arm. “Do you want anything?”
The guy smiles, but shakes his head, and tells you to not take too long. You start to head to the kitchen and Caleb follows close after you, his hand on your elbow.
“Are you sure you should be getting another drink?” he murmurs, his face close to your ear.
“I’m fine,” you tell him dismissively, but your footing betrays you, and you stumble, almost spilling the remaining contents of your cup.
He catches your arm, and helps steady you while giving you a disappointed look. Annoyed, you tug your arm away from him and start to walk away again when he grabs your wrist, pulling you back towards him. You look at him, your eyebrow raised, challenging him to say something.
“You dragged me all the way out here just so I could watch you get drunk and take a stranger home?” he hisses, his face closing in on yours. He pulls you into a dark, empty hallway, away from the rest of the party.
“What do you want from me, Caleb?” you retort, anger seeping into your voice. “You turned away two really cute girls tonight. You wouldn’t even look at them. It’s not my fault you’re not having fun.”
“Because I had to keep an eye on you!” he sighs, exasperated. “You were throwing yourself at anyone who gave you attention.”
“I can take care of myself just fine,” you scoff. You find yourself backed up against the wall, with him towering over you. “You, on the other hand, have a stick up your ass – you constantly drive people away.”
Caleb leans over you, his hand slamming against the wall next to your head. You jut your chin out to him defiantly, challenging his stare down. You see his brow furrow, a flurry of emotions brewing behind his eyes. You see his jaw clench, his nostrils flare, and the hand that’s by your head tightens into a fist.
“I don’t want other people,” he mutters, his voice low. “I don’t need other people. You’re the only one. You’re just too stubborn to see that.”
You feel your breath catch in your throat, the weight of his sudden confession hanging heavy in the air between you. You don’t know if it’s the alcohol, or Caleb’s proximity to you, but your cheeks feel like they’re on fire. His cologne, the one you had bought him for Christmas, the one that smells faintly of apple and cinnamon, tickles your nostrils. You lock eyes, and he holds your gaze, waiting to see how you’ll react.
You look up at him through your lashes, unable to stop the smile playing at your lips, tipsy courage fueling your next words. Fucking finally. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
In a heated instant, the space between you is closed, his lips immediately on yours. His kiss is desperate, heavy with the years he was pent up yearning for you. Your hand is in his hair, pulling him in, craving every single bit of him. His hands roam around your torso, playing with the hem of your shirt, before finally snaking underneath and gripping at the skin of your waist.
You yelp in surprise and push him away abruptly, leaving him looking confused and slightly regretful.
“Pip-pipsqueak,” he starts, stammering already. “I’m so sorry, I just–”
“Oh, shut up, Caleb,” you say, rolling your eyes. You reach for his wrist, and start to walk, pulling him along with you. “Come on, let’s go somewhere more private.”
He follows you wordlessly, slightly stunned. You zigzag your way through the house until you find a set of stairs leading up to the second floor. You peer upwards, watching for any signs of life. You begin to tow Caleb up the stairs, and he starts to protest.
“Are you sure–”
“Just keep quiet and follow me.”
You manage to stumble up the stairs, the haze of alcohol making your steps heavy. You open the first door on the left of the stairs, which opens to a dark and empty bathroom. You usher him inside, then close the door behind you, the sounds of the party disappearing. You turn the lights on, then push Caleb back up against the sink. You’re both locked in another intense and passionate kiss, and this time it’s him being pinned up against something.
You break away, leaving him panting and your lips tingling. He looks at you with wide eyes as you start to kneel down, your hands running down the sides of his legs, tugging at his jeans. He hisses as he grips the edge of the sink, with your hands starting to undo his belt.
You manage to get it off before a sudden wave of nausea hits you. You gasp and you cover your mouth, rocking back on your heels. He looks down at you, worry and confusion mixing with arousal in his eyes.
“Hey, are you okay?”
You nod, one hand still covering your mouth, the other on his belt. You swallow, fighting back the nausea, waiting until it disappears completely before going for the buttons on his jeans. As soon as you get to the zipper, the nausea comes back with a fighting intensity and you gag, your stomach heaving.
Thank god you’re already in the bathroom.
You push yourself away from Caleb’s legs and reach for the toilet bowl, catching it just in time. You hunch over it, and retch, the contents of your stomach coming out.
Turns out your jungle juice limit is three cups.
You’re still throwing up into the toilet bowl, completely forgetting that he’s still there, when you feel a hand brush your hair away from your face and neck. Another hand rubs soft, slow circles into your back as you continue to retch.
“That’s it, let it out. Keep going.”
Caleb soothes you by rubbing your back, and whispering comforting words into your ear. It feels like an eternity before you no longer have anything to throw up. You’re left gasping, the room around you spinning.
You hear the tap running, then feel something moist dab at the corner of your mouth. You groan, realizing that Caleb is wiping away the vomit on your lips.
“God, Caleb, I’m so sorry,” you whine, still trying to find your bearings. “This must be such a vibe killer.”
You hear him laugh, and he guides you to lean back onto the bathtub. You keep your eyes closed as you hear him clean up, wiping things down and flushing the toilet. You feel him sit down next to you on the tiled floor, also leaning against the tub.
You lean on his shoulder, and sigh, energy completely drained from you.
“You’re right,” you admit, your voice croaky. “I don’t think I should have been getting another drink.” You look up at him, admitting defeat. “Let’s go home?”
He smiles at you, then motions to his crotch, looking slightly sheepish. “Sure. Just… give me a few minutes.”
—
The air outside is cool and refreshing, a relief on your fevered skin. Caleb has managed to get you away from the party and is piggybacking you down the sidewalk, making his way home.
“I think we should get a cab,” you say groggily as he adjusts you on his back.
“Yeah, soon,” he tells you. “I just want to make sure you’re not going to throw up again.”
You want to slap him on his arm, and tell him to shut up, but instead you stay silent, relishing in the comfort being on his back gives you. Caleb’s broad, reliable, strong yet soft back. You sigh as you nuzzle into his sweater, the smell of his cologne soothing you.
“I’m not being a burden, am I?” you ask timidly.
“You? Never,” he admits with sincerity. Caleb shifts you again so that he can feel you pressed up against his back, your warmth radiating through your clothes to him.
You may be drunk, a total mess, unable to stand by yourself, but you’re safe in Caleb’s arms as he takes you home. You’re right where you’re supposed to be.
just want to watch you leave tonight, it's something i can't do ... i know i'm gonna lose - lose by wonho
x-02!caleb x (non-mc)scientist!reader | angst, action, mystery | 2k words
cw: some violent scenes
10:04 PM. You blink at the time on the corner of your computer screen, yawning. You should be home, in bed by now, not at work waiting for your software to finish crunching data. You deliberate between writing up your report as soon as the numbers are done, or just leaving it until the next day.
Then you’ll have to do an all-nighter at your cubicle.
You sigh, and stretch in your office chair. You didn’t even get these extended hours approved or authorized by management – you technically shouldn’t be in the building at all. Oh, well, what are they going to do? Fire you for working overtime? You raise an arm up and sniff yourself, then grimace. You’re definitely going home, you decide. That report can wait until tomorrow.
You stand from your desk, leaving your computer on to do its thing while you pack your workstation up. You shuffle and tidy some papers, and start putting things away in your bag. You spot the two mugs of coffee that have had stains marinating in them for the last three days. You wince, then decisively pick them up by the handles, feeling bad that you haven’t washed them yet.
You march to the kitchen on your office floor – the entire floor is empty, save for you. You hear the quiet hums of several machines and nothing else. The glare of the overhead fluorescent lights adds to your exhaustion – they can’t be good for your eyes. You finish washing your mugs and leave them to dry on the counter, then head back to your desk.
As you’re walking, you hear voices and footsteps approaching. You duck into another walkway, peeking around the corner. It’s not that you’re hiding, but you just want to avoid conversation with any of your coworkers if any of them were still left working in the building. It would add several more minutes to your time spent at work. You listen, waiting for the footsteps to pass. You hear two familiar voices – one is your department head, your supervisor, and the other is the chairman of the board. Neither of them have any business being here so late.
You listen to them speak in hushed tones. “X-22 is just about ready,” your supervisor says, sounding excited. Your entire body freezes as you realize that they could be talking about something confidential. “Is it ready for a demo tonight?” the chairman asks, no emotion in his voice. They continue to walk past you, and you can no longer make out what they’re saying. You step out of the hallway, eyes scanning the area, ears straining. There’s no one else here.
You watch them walk and they turn towards the main lab. You follow after them, trying to keep your steps as quiet as possible. You’re working on sensitive projects, some of which are being stored in that lab. You know the chairman definitely doesn’t have clearance to be there. You round the corner and see them enter, your supervisor using his keycard to open the glass sliding doors. The doors close behind them, and you wait several seconds before walking up to them. You use your own key card and the panel beeps before the doors slide open.
The inside of the lab is dark, with the only light coming from some computer screens that have been left on. You head inside, weaving your way through benches and server cabinets. You can’t hear the two men that you were following, so you suspect that they might be in the main theater of the lab. You make your way there, as silently as you can. You see the both of them in the center of the theater, but they have been joined by others, all of whom you don’t recognize. None of them definitely have any clearance to be in here.
You slide yourself behind another server cabinet, watching them closely. They seem to have formed a circle around something large, something covered by a sheet. You peer around the cabinet, your heart hammering against your ribcage. What the hell is going on here? They’re all silent, and in the next moment, your supervisor speaks up.
“Gentlemen,” he says, his voice reverberating against the lab walls. “Thank you for gathering here tonight. I won’t keep you long. May I introduce you to X-22?”
With that, he pulls off the sheet, and what you see stuns the breath out of you. The rest of them murmur in excitement and anticipation. A man is propped up with a cross-like structure, his arms extended to either side of him. His head hangs down, his eyes closed. His face seems like it’s the only thing out of him made of flesh – the rest of him looks like he’s made of metal. You squint at it, until it hits you. He looks like he’s been constructed of the metal blend you had helped develop for prosthetics for amputees. That project had been your pride and joy. This man’s entire torso and appendages are made from it. You can’t help but stare in horror. Is he unconscious or powered off?
You shudder, your head suddenly feeling light. What the fuck is happening? You want to get out of there, as fast as you can. You turn to go, but your mind is racing. You’re not paying attention to your surroundings. You walk into another cabinet, the crashing sound ringing out throughout the lab. Heads turn to you, and you look back, trying to come up with an excuse.
“I’m sorry,” you start to stammer. “I forgot something in here, I just–”
Your supervisor interrupts you by saying your name. He frowns, his face solemn. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
“I know,” you say, your heart pounding. “I’ll be out of here. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No, no,” the chairman says. He motions for you to come over. You swallow, and approach slowly. “We have something to test X-22 on now. Tie the hands.”
Your supervisor comes to stand behind you, grabbing you by the arms. You start to resist, but the chairman unholsters his gun from his belt and points it at you. You freeze, staring at the weapon.
“Sorry,” your supervisor whispers as he secures your wrists with a large cable tie. “You’ve seen too much. We do appreciate your work though. You helped create X-22. And the ones that came before him.”
You don’t say anything – you feel like you want to throw up. Things aren’t looking good for you. He pushes you towards X-22, the cyborg-like thing in the middle of the room. X-22’s eyes are still closed, and he seems almost peaceful, like he’s at rest. Your eyes scan the rest of his body, noting the breaks and attachments in the prosthetics you had helped design. These are definitely more than prosthetics.
You’re forced to your knees, still at gunpoint. You start saying your final prayers. To whom? You have no idea, but you feel like you have to make peace with someone. Something. Anything. Your supervisor releases you, then heads to X-22, fiddling with something on his back.
“Powering on now,” he announces, then the lights in the lab flicker off, then flicker back on. You hear a loud hum, like a large computer is being booted up. The room grows warmer, and you realize that the heat is coming from X-22.
This is it. Fuck your life. You spent your last hours working overtime for a company that is literally going to kill you.
You close your eyes, starting to come to terms with your ending, when you hear a loud, crashing noise. It’s like a bus has rammed through the walls and into the lab. You keep your eyes shut, crouching down, making your body as small as you can. You feel the wind rush past you, and it almost knocks you down. You hear gunshots, screaming, flesh tearing. You’re confused, terrified, totally vulnerable. Your hands are still tied behind you, and you try to stand, but fall back onto your bottom.
You open your eyes. There’s debris everywhere, blood splatters all over the walls and floor. You look up and see X-22, still propped up, still unmoving with his eyes closed. The men that were in the room with you are no longer there. You have no idea where they could be. Wind from the outside rushes into the room, along with rain and the sounds of thunder. You look past X-22, and find that a large portion of the wall of the building is gone, with a storm raging outside.
You struggle to stand, and then you hear footsteps and freeze again. Another form steps out from behind X-22 and you gape at him. They look like clones of each other. Except this man is dressed in a compression shirt, cargo pants and combat boots. Only his arm seems to be made of the metal blend X-22 is made of entirely. The other arm is flesh. There’s a tattoo on his neck. You peer at it. It says X-02. He gazes down at you, his purple-orange eyes gleaming.
You squirm and reel backwards, trying to get away from him, trying to escape. Fuck this.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he sighs. “I’m here for this.”
He turns away from you, and towards X-22. The man tinkers with a panel on X-22’s chest. It comes off, and you crane your neck to try and see what’s inside. He seems to be entirely made of inorganic material, except for the heart. The man rips it out, blood dripping down his bionic arm. You watch as he crushes it to a pulp, pieces of it being squeezed out from between his fingers. You feel nauseous. The man then detaches something else from within X-22 – it looks like a power supply board, with the center being–is that a protocore? He crushes this with his bionic arm too, pieces of it falling to the ground. The entire time, X-22 is still. He hasn’t moved or stirred at all. The man looks down at you again, a mix of pity and disgust on his face.
“A-are you the original?” you ask, in a small voice.
“No,” he replies, his voice low. “I’m the second prototype. And now the last.”
An unusual wave of courage comes over you. You did just manage to escape death after all. “Where’s the first?”
“Dead,” the man mutters. “Lucky bastard,” he adds under his breath.
You swallow nervously again. The man reaches behind you with his bionic arm and slices at the cable tie, releasing your hands. How the hell did he do that? You rub at your wrists. “Thank you,” you whisper. He nods. You sit there, staring at him while he stares back at you. You have no idea where to go or what to do next. You open your mouth to ask another question when the room goes dark. The lights turn off, and the area is illuminated briefly by the lightning from outside. The backup lights come on in the next second, but they glow red. A loud siren blares, and you suspect it’s going off around the building.
“There’s going to be a whole army here soon,” the man mutters. He offers a hand to you and you take it, rising from the floor. “I would get out of here if I were you. I’ve also set this place to blow in the next few minutes.”
You gape at him, unsure of how to reply. Your mind is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. What are you supposed to do? He’s still holding your hand with his bionic one. You look at it, marvelling at the craftsmanship. You wish you could study it and tinker with it to see how it was made and how it operates.
“Or you could come with me,” he suggests, a strange twinkle in his eyes. He smiles at you, but it feels a little off, almost unnatural. Like he’s not used to doing it. “What do you think? I think we could be a good team. After all, what have you got left to lose?”
