I read @teepstea post a couple of days ago and this is my take on Caleb reading MC’s grudge book. It is probably not lore-accurate but it was fun to write. (˶ˆ꒳ˆ˵) Don't even wanna think about how many hours I spent on that silly header and divider, I need to get a life lmao.
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ PAIRING: Caleb x MC (f/m)
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ GENRE: fluff and humor
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ WARNING: invasion of privacy
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ WORD COUNT: 1,046
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ AO3 ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
Caleb had been checking the wiring in MC’s apartment.
He hadn’t expected to find evidence of a long-standing conspiracy.
He only noticed it when he crouched to inspect the baseboard near her bed. The tape caught his eye first—old, yellowed at the edges, crisscrossed in a haphazard patch. It was holding something flat against the underside of the frame.
Curiosity got the better of him. He peeled the tape back and tugged the hidden item free.
It was glittery pink, with the spine patched in silver duct tape and a lopsided doodle of what might have been a space whale on the front. Across the cover, in huge, blocky letters:
THE BOOK OF WRONGS
Property of MC. If you read this you’re a BIG MEANIE.
Caleb stared at it for a long moment, debating whether to respect the warning or defy it outright. It was clearly aimed at him.
It might as well have been an engraved invitation. He could almost hear her younger voice in his head, full of righteous indignation and badly concealed mischief.
He flipped it open.
The first page was a minefield of doodles—stick-figure Caleb with furious eyebrows, lightning bolts over his head, and what looked like a spider mid-air, descending on a screaming stick-figure MC. Hearts floated inexplicably around a hoverbike sketch, drawn with all the intensity of a first love.
He turned the page.
The handwriting was big, uneven, and full of random capital letters. Each page listed an offense, numbered like criminal charges.
WRONG 1
Caleb said I cant have THREE ice creems in a row. He sed I will get sik. I did NOT get sik. He is a lier.
He remembered that evening. She’d been pale, groaning, and entirely incapable of making it to the bathroom. He'd been the one to clean it up.
WRONG 2
Caleb told me a plant is BAD. It was NOT bad it was just a spiky plant. I think he made it up.
He closed his eyes briefly, pinching the bridge of his nose. It hadn’t just been “spiky.” It had been a cactus—an honest-to-god cactus—with a bright red warning sign that read Do Not Touch. The fact that he’d had to explain why a person shouldn’t bite into a cactus was something he’d been trying to forget for years.
WRONG 3
Caleb took away my lazer light becuz I was “bothering people.” I was NOT. I was making the ship FUN.
He exhaled sharply through his nose. Fun, in this case, had been blinding the navigation officer mid-course adjustment. He’d confiscated the laser before she could accidentally send them into an asteroid field.
WRONG 4
Caleb said I cant help fix the hoverbike. He gave me a tool but there was NOTHING to fix. TRICKER.
His lips pressed into a thin line. There had been plenty to fix, just none of it that he was going to let her anywhere near. She’d been one step away from dismantling the fuel line with the enthusiasm of someone pulling apart a puzzle box. He hadn’t tricked her. He’d kept her from accidentally blowing them both sky-high. Keeping her alive had always been a full-time job.
Caleb shut the book slowly, the glittery pink cover catching the light like it was mocking him. The duct tape along the spine was frayed, the edges curling where her fingers must have worried at them years ago. He sat there for a moment, elbows on his knees, staring at the ridiculous whale doodle.
Of course she’d kept something like this. Of course she’d taken the time, probably huddled in some corner with her tongue between her teeth, to immortalize every petty grievance she’d ever had with him. She’d drawn it all exactly as she’d seen it and the worst part? In her eyes, he’d been the villain every time.
A humorless huff escaped him. She really thought three ice creams in a row had been harmless. She’d really believed cacti were edible. And that the laser pointer incident had been “making the ship fun.” He rubbed at his temple, torn between wanting to shake his head at the absurdity of it and, god help him, smiling.
The book caught his eye again, and his chest gave an unexpected twist. There was something about the earnestness of it all, the way she’d turned her grievances into a sort of sacred record. Even back then, she’d been fierce, stubborn, so utterly convinced of her own truth.
He set the book down beside him, fingers lingering on the cover a moment longer than necessary. For all the trouble she’d caused him then—and now—he wouldn’t trade those memories. Not for anything.
The sound of the door sliding open broke his thoughts.
MC stepped in, mid-sentence about something, then stopped short. Her words died in her throat as her gaze zeroed in on the glittery pink notebook beside him.
Her brows shot up. “Where did you get that?”
“Taped under your bed,” he said mildly, as if uncovering hidden contraband was part of his daily routine. “Ingenious hiding spot. I almost didn’t notice.”
“You weren’t supposed to read it!” she groaned.
“I’ve learned a lot about my past crimes,” he said, holding the book aloft like evidence.
MC darted forward and snatched it from him, cradling it to her chest as if he might pounce for it again. “You are never allowed to touch this again.”
“I’ll try to resist the temptation,” Caleb replied, voice dry, though the faint curve tugging at his mouth gave him away.
He rose, offering her a hand. “Three scoops of ice cream. Your choice.”
She gave him a look, sharp, assessing, just shy of a glare. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“Maybe.” His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, something warmer than amusement flickering there. “But I also remember every single one of those ‘wrongs.’ And… they’re good memories.”
Her expression softened despite herself, and for once, she didn’t argue.
He paused just long enough for her to start relaxing, then added casually, “Though I’m starting to think I should start my own Book of Wrongs. I’ve got material.”
MC narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you dare.”
Caleb only smirked. “Too late. I’m already planning the cover.”
