Authors note: I've always thought that this show is terribly underrated, so i've decided to show my appreciation through a little deep dive into Caleb's mind. Hope you enjoy it.

Unexpected

People who didn't know Cornelia very well often wondered what Caleb saw in her. Sure she was a beautiful girl, but she also seemed like one of the most self involved people you could possibly meet. She was often vain and stuck up, not to mention mean, cold and frivolous. She spent a lot of time thinking about her looks, shopping, clothes and other inconsequential things. Nothing a rebel would ever consider devoting his time to. Particularly not when the fate of his homeland was at stake.

At first glance, they couldn't be more different. He was nothing if not self sacrificing, and she was rather selfish. She was probably the last person he would have thought he would want as a friend, much less a girlfriend.

But Caleb had been trained from a very young age to notice things that most people would ignore or consider insignificant, and this talent allowed him to see all the qualities that made her a loyal friend, a caring guardian and, sometimes, even a good sister.

When he first met the guardians he didn't think very highly of any of them. None of them seemed mature enough to wield the powers they had been granted by Kandrakar. Instead they were loud and disorganized and seemed to have no idea what they were up against.

He began changing his mind during his first day on earth when the girls made sure to make him comfortable and started showing a lot of interest in Meridian, questioning him for hours on how they could help. It was on this day that he first noticed that she could be very kind (when she wanted to). She had arrived at The Silver Dragon after everyone else, because she had spent the whole morning shopping for clothes and hygiene products for him. It was also at this moment that he first saw just how pretty she was. Not that it mattered at the time, after all he had just become a refugee on another planet and the people he was supposed to protect were still suffering.

During their third mission he notices her bravery and strength. He's known from a young age that women can do everything men can. But he's never seen girls as strong as the Guardians, particularly her. Even if she was strong in a very different way than he was used to.

He had been witness to countless female rebels leading teams, planning rescues and fighting fiercely. Those women had taught him that girls can be tough and face adversity without complaining. But something he had never noticed, is the fact that those women had given up on many "girly" things. They didn't have the time to take care of their hair, talk about boys or discuss the latest fashions. Sometimes they didn't even have the resources to take showers. All of them, and Caleb, had learned to think of these things as superfluous.

He was not used to watching girls who were lively and carefree, like Irma and Hay Lin. Nor was he usually in the presence of girls who could plan missions and have complex discussions about boy bands at the same time, like Will. Or people who were full of fear, but were brave enough to openly talk about it, like Taranee. Hanging around the guardians showed him that women were full of contradictions.

But the most contradictory of them all was Cornelia. She was graceful and delicate, elegant in all of her movements. But she could also be very forceful and erratic in the way she attacked, quick to take action and creative on the battle field. The way she fought almost resembled dancing, and it was beautiful to watch. This is what sparks his interest. She's so different from everyone he knows, and that makes her interesting.

A few days later he discovered that she could be sweet and caring. He had just gotten back from a mission on Meridian and he was badly hurt. As soon as she saw him she had retrieved a first aid kit and some ice. She spent about half an hour helping him with his wounds and listening to the retelling of his adventure. It was the first time since his father had disappeared that someone had taken care of him.
At first he had felt very uncomfortable, he wasn't used to this at all. He had learned to suck it up and power through, but she had left him no option. When she told him to sit down and stay still he couldn't do anything but comply. To distract him from the pain she had asked him about what had happened and listened attentively. A few moments later when Hay Lin had walked in with some food she found him in a good mood, happily sharing stories about the rebellion.

By this point he had already figured that she would be a good friend. He also may have developed a bit of a crush on her. Not that he would tell anyone about it yet. He had no time for silly crushes, not when so many people were depending on him.

Others often wondered how he could even like her, a lot of the time the bickered about pretty much everything, making those around them wonder if they even liked each other. But that's just another thing he found endearing (and incredibly attractive). The way she challenged him about most things. She called him out when he made misogynistic comments and when he was being too cocky. Many people in the rebellion didn't feel entitled to question him, a lot of the time he went unchecked. Only his closest friends, which now included the girls, were ever confident enough to do that. And no one did it more often or better than she.

In his opinion, the most surprising thing about their relationship is The fact that he feels safe enough to talk about himself around her. Because of his amazing leadership skills, it's easy to forget that he's not the friendliest person when he first meets new people. He tends to be a little guarded and even a bit hostile. This secrecy is not limited only to new acquaintances, many of his friends barely know basic things about him, like his age and where he grew up. Everyone knows he has no problem talking about Meridian and he can speak nonstop about the rebellion, but many aspects of his personal life remain a mystery to most people.
Of course after a few months of living at Hay Lin's house he has learned to trust all the guardians. How couldn't he? They have saved his life countless times. But even they don't get to know about the things he fears, the guilt he feels about being safe on another planet while his people suffer or the amount of pressure he experiences every day. That is to say most of the guardians don't know, but Cornelia does.

It happens out of nowhere really. She had begun hanging out more often at the Silver Dragon. If her story is to be believed it was to escape her sister's annoying personality, but he likes to believe Hay Lin's theory, which suggests that she's doing it to spend more time with him.
In the beginning they only hang out during his breaks, but then she starts to stay after closing time and even helps him with the cleaning. The first few weeks they talk about mundane stuff, she introduces him to Earth music, which he mostly enjoys, with exception of anything by Vance Michael Justin, and he asks her a million questions about the bothersome habits of the restaurant patrons. He began doing this out of genuine curiosity, but he kept doing it because it made her laugh.

She opens up to him first. As a fellow private person he feels honored that she decided he was trust worthy. It's a particularly emotional day for her. She seems to be succumbing to the pressure of having to be responsible for the fate of an entire kingdom, while also having to live up to her parents expectations. Leading a double life has made her feel misunderstood by her best friend and her family, who have no idea what she's going through. And the other girls aren't as close to her as they are to each other.

Normally this kind of conversation would make him feel really uncomfortable and he would answer awkwardly, before making a quick exit. But something about what she was saying resonated with him. He could see a little of himself in her struggles. He also feels a strange sense of pride, because he knows that almost no one else gets to experience this side of her.

He doesn't really reciprocate on that particular day, he doesn't want her to feel like he doesn't care. He's also always had a tendency to try too hard to take care of others and forget about himself, but he doesn't Pay any mind to the voice that's reminding him of this fact.

A few weeks later, when he succumbs to the stress of being the leader of a revolution she's there to help him. He doesn't cry or anything (he hasn't allowed himself to do that in a while), but he's the most vulnerable he has been in years, maybe ever. It's that day that he first mentions his father's disappearance and for once he lets himself mourn him. She listens to him quietly, which is a rare sight. And he knows that she's doing her best to be understanding. He even realizes that she won't judge him for showing his weaknesses. All of this is new to him, he has always been expected to be strong and brave.

At first he's not quite sure if this is good or if he should be scared. He's never had the kind of friend with whom he talks about the way he feels. With the exception of Aldarn, his Meridian friends are mostly adventure companions. He knows they care about him and that they would never betray him, but he doesn't talk much around them, not about the deep things anyway. He doesn't even do this with Aldarn, but in his defense seeing as they have known each other forever and have gone through pretty much the same things, he asumes That he doesn't need to tell him what's happening, he just knows.

What seals the deal for him is her fierce loyalty toward those she loves. He gets to know this part of her through her relationship with Elyon. He already knew that Cornelia loved her friend and hated the fact that she and the other girls had to exclude her from their Guardian responsibilities. But after they found out that Elyon was the lost princess, Cornelia became fiercely protective. She would fight almost daily with Will about the right way to do things and challenge her authority on every decision she made. Caleb was tempted to side with her on many occasions, after all, Cornelia knew Elyon better that the others, but he was worried that his feelings for her were clouding his judgement.

When they lost her he felt awful, not just because he had let his people down, but also because Cornelia was heartbroken. He had to make things right.

After Elyon left to live with her brother, he was worried that his friendship with the Earth Guardian was gonna deteriorate, but much to his surprise, the opposite happened. Now she was just as invested in defeating Phobos as he had always been. It was a personal matter to her, and that meant that she was going to do her best and give her all. This lead to her reviewing attack plans and infiltration strategies with him. They would spend hours discussing them and training together. That's when it hit him, he was in love with her.

Immediately after that first realization he has a second one (that's maybe even more important), he has no idea what to do about it.