HELLO KPOP AND LADS ENJOYER!! i loveeeeee love your work :) i was wondering if i could request a prompt where reader is a huge kpop fan and how you think caleb would react to it? (i kinda imagine him to be a little jealous) thank you!!!!! :)
𝐚/𝐧: admittedly i used this to spread my kim taerae propaganda. i hope zb1 come to my city on their upcoming international tour... i do imagine caleb is most definitely the jealous type, even if he insists that he's not. he very much wants to be the most important person in his partner's life. even though he knows it's just a little hobby, i imagine he'd get huffy about it, if only to get their attention, what a loser. i started writing another request yesterday evening but then i fell asleep ;;
𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: caleb x reader
𝐜𝐰: none.
𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬: open.
caleb wasn’t usually the jealous type. or at the very least, he liked to tell himself he wasn’t.
but when he came home to find his partner curled up on the couch with the lights dimmed, phone propped up on the pillow, and their eyes practically sparkling at the screen, something hot and sour stirred in his chest.
of course, he trusted them fullheartedly, but even then, seeing them have that look— his look— directed at anyone but himself irritated him.
there he was, sweaty and exhausted from a long day of modules and training, and they hadn’t even noticed he’d walked in.
“whatcha watchin’?” he asked, voice casual but with a pointed edge to it as he stepped further into the room.
they blinked, startled, then immediately brightened. “caleb! you’re back— look! taerae’s part is coming up, you gotta hear this, it’s so good—“ they angled the phone toward him, eyes gleaming with excitement.
caleb leaned over, arms crossed, squinting at the screen. some pretty boy with dyed hair and a pastel sweater was singing with heart-melting sincerity, voice smooth and sweet. caleb barely heard the lyrics, far too busy watching his lover’s face— how they were beaming, swaying just a little to the beat, completely and utterly starstruck.
“kim taerae,” they said, matter of factly, as if though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “of zerobaseone. he’s, like, the sweetest. his voice is so angelic… oh, and he’s so thoughtful and plays the guitar and—“
“you got a crush on this guy or somethin’?”
they blinked, a bit taken aback by his sudden question before a laugh spilled past their lips. “no! i just— he’s talented. i admire him!”
caleb raised a brow, but didn’t say anything. he sat down beside them, spreading his legs slightly as he got comfortable.
caleb huffed. “you sure do talk about him a lot.”
they hesitated for a beat, before offering a sheepish smile. “i mean… i do have a photo card collection.”
“a photocard collection. of taerae.”
caleb stared. “you’ve got… pictures of the guy? like, a lot?”
they nodded, unbothered. “yeah, they’re cute.”
he didn’t say anything right away, his face didn’t change much either, but there was a quiet furrow in his brow. the kind that meant his mind was running a little faster than his words. he didn’t want to feel weird about it. he really didn’t. but knowing there was a box or binder somewhere in their room filled with pictures of some guy that wasn’t him—
it stirred something a little sour and bitter.
“i’m not judgin’,” he said finally, voice a little low. “you callin’ someone sweet and thoughtful and collectin’ this guy’s face like trading cards… i’m not judgin’.”
“i didn’t realize i was sharin’ you with an idol.”
that made them pause. they turned to look at him fully, their smile softening into something amused and warm. “are you… jealous, caleb?”
caleb glanced away, frowning as he crossed his arms over his chest. “i’m not jealous of some guy who you’ve never even properly met. that’d be stupid.”
“you totally are.” they were grinning now, moving closer to nudge his side. “it’s okay, you’re cute when you sulk.”
“you do. you’re doing it right now.”
caleb hugged, but he didn’t move away as they leaned against him, their head resting gently on his shoulder. their voice was quieter now. “taerae’s cool. but he’s not you.”
he blinked, looking down at them. “yeah?”
they nodded, wrapping their arms around his. “of course.”
caleb’s expression softened just slightly. “does he have any pictures of you?”
“you have pictures of him,” he said, a little quieter now. “but does he have any of you?”
they paused, then smiled, slow and sure as a laugh bubbled past their lips. “nope, only one man gets those.”
caleb looked down at them, like he was trying not to let that line knock the breath out of him. “damn right,” he muttered.
they paused, then smiled once more— warm and gentle as spring sunlight as they interlocked their fingers with caleb’s hand. “no idol, no photo card, no one on a glowing stage could ever take your place, caleb.”
he looked over at them, and for a moment, the tension in his shoulders eased. his eyes, always steady and strong, turned soft with something deeper— something vulnerable. almost.
“you’re the one who waits up for me. who makes me snacks when i forget to eat, who kisses my forehead when i’m too tired to move. you’re the one i dance around the kitchen with. i love my little hobby, but you are my home.”
caleb was quiet for a long second, his thumb rubbing absent circles along the back of their hand. then he leaned over and kissed their temple, slow and lingering. “god, i love you.”
they grinned against his shoulder. “just making sure you know.”
“i do,” he said, gently nudging their forehead with his. “but keep remindin’ me anyway.”
as they curled together on the couch— caleb resting his cheek atop their head while his lover scrolled through their phone happily, showing him more videos and explaining things he admittedly didn’t quite understand— they both knew exactly where their hearts belonged.
right here. with each other.
