Author's Note: I started this as a one shot but it just kept getting longer and longer so I split it into two parts. Part 1 takes place during the events of both seasons and Part 2 follows the characters after the show. Given the characters' ages during the show, Part 1 is a lot more T and we get to the M stuff in part 2 ;)
"You're the Guardians of the Veil?!"
The first time Caleb saw Cornelia, she was a silly 14-year-old, obsessed with clothes and makeup and just beginning to learn about the other worlds. She would have denied it at the time, but looking back she knew she had been vain and shallow.
Meeting Caleb was no different - she had immediately focused on his looks. She first described him as "cute," but knew that word wasn't quite right.
The boys at the mall were cute. Vance Michael Justin was cute. Caleb was the first boy she could honestly call handsome. And he was, with his rugged appearance and hard-earned strength.
After admittedly not caring about much outside of her comfortable little bubble, becoming a Guardian had quickly shown her just how sheltered she and her friends had been.
Seeing Caleb and the struggle he and the other rebels were in helped with her growing maturity, which both of them would admit took plenty of time. But for the first time, her perspective had been totally flipped upside down, largely thanks to the rebel leader.
"Hey, do you have a girlfriend? Because I think Cornelia likes you!"
Hay Lin's offhand question caught him off guard. Cornelia was, as it turns out, the first girl Caleb had ever thought about in that way.
Even though the words used were new to him, he understood the sentiment well enough to blush and clear his throat awkwardly.
It's not that there weren't any females in Meridian. But when all of your time is spent running, fighting, and protecting, there isn't a lot of time for mingling and courting.
His first impression of the Guardians, and female Earthlings in general, was less than favorable. They were just so different from the people on his planet, and he was constantly trying to understand their strange behaviors.
Still, he had to admit that the blonde Guardian caught his eye, and his attention, for more than her looks. Despite the image she tried to project, he quickly learned that Cornelia had a caring soul, one that he wanted to get to know.
Not that he would admit it to anyone, but Caleb realized that the more time he spent with the Guardians, the more he gravitated towards Cornelia in particular.
The first time they danced, Cornelia had a hell of a time getting the Meridian boy to loosen up.
Not accustomed to teenage life on Earth, Caleb's idea of dancing was far from the displays around him that ranged from awkward shimmying to outright grinding. After his first attempt to dance like the kids around him, he retreated until Cornelia pulled him back into the fray.
"I really think I should just stay over there," Caleb said, pointing to his former spot against the wall by the punch table.
"Come on," Cornelia whined. "I do NOT look this good just to stand around and watch everyone else dance," she pouted.
Sighing because he could not resist that face, he let himself be led to the dance floor. Thankfully the song changed at that moment to something much slower.
The couples around them were all swaying now, a much simpler motion that Caleb could handle. Cornelia showed Caleb where to put his hands, both of them blushing at the sensation of being so close together.
It was a rare moment of normalcy for Cornelia, until she remembered that the boy she was dancing with was from another planet.
She studied his face, surprised at how well he blended in with the other teens.
"What are you staring at?" he asked quietly.
"Nothing," she said, giggling. "Just impressed that the rebel leader is able to act so human."
"I AM human!" He exclaimed, sounding vaguely offended. Cornelia just laughed again, and he realized that her laugh was fast becoming one of his favorite sounds.
They grew quiet, and Cornelia moved closer, resting her head on his shoulder. Caleb smiled wistfully, knowing he would miss her once this was all over.
The first time they kissed, neither of them knew if they would be living through the unfolding war. Caleb had kissed Cornelia on the cheek mid-battle, and she had said he was "wonderful," whatever that meant. But they had been dancing around their feelings for a while without acting on them, until now.
It was a brief moment in the midst of chaos, before they entered the portal to Meridian to save Elyon. Caleb urged Cornelia to go ahead of him into the portal once the others had exited the empty model home.
They each sensed the importance of the moment. Cornelia felt her breath hitch as he turned to face her, dropping his brave warrior exterior so that she could see the vulnerability, worry, and affection in his eyes.
There are so many things we should say to each other, but this will have to do for now.
They closed the distance between them as if drawn together, their lips finally meeting. As much as Cornelia wanted to stay, she knew they were needed on the other side and pulled away reluctantly.
She took a deep breath and entered the portal, joining the other Guardians as she saw Caleb, her rebel leader, join his followers.
Both hoped that it would be the first kiss of many, but knew they had a battle to win if they had any hope for their future.
Neither of them could say exactly when their first fight occurred, as they had been bickering since they first met. Sometimes it felt like they were either fighting for their lives or fighting with each other.
"You're choosing Meridian over me?"
When Cornelia realized Caleb wasn't coming with her to Heatherfield, she did the only thing she could think of to try and protect her heart.
Caleb might not have known the term "break up," but he sure understood the sentiment. He also didn't believe her aloof facade one bit.
He knew his decision to stay on Meridian hurt Cornelia, but he had spent his entire life fighting for his world's freedom. He couldn't stop now, not even for the beautiful Guardian who had his heart.
The first time Cornelia really thought she had lost Caleb, she knew what it meant to feel her heart breaking.
She had tried to ignore the fact that she still had feelings for the rebel leader, even trying to distract herself with Taranee's older brother (a disaster she would rather forget). Seeing Caleb attempt to ice skate for her made Cornelia realize how deep her feelings for the Meridian boy still were.
Before she could act on that realization, they were pulled back into Guardian mode against the Knights of Vengeance. When it seemed that both Caleb and Julian had been lost, all of her petty anger and resentment from the past few weeks faded completely.
During those long moments when it seemed that Caleb was gone for good, she feared that her new perspective had come too late. Overcome, she fell to her knees and let her tears fall.
Once they realized that both Julian and Caleb were still alive, Cornelia knew she had to make things right.
"When I thought I'd lost you, all I could think about was-"
"That other guy?" he interrupted bitterly.
Cornelia realized all eyes were on them and inclined her head towards the door. "Can we step outside for a minute?"
Once they were alone, Cornelia swallowed her pride explained everything. When she finished talking and Caleb still hadn't said anything, she assumed that was her answer and turned to go.
Fighting tears for the second time that day, Cornelia gasped when she felt his hands on her shoulders. Turning her to face him, Caleb pulled her into a tight hug.
"I thought I'd lost you today too," he said into her hair. "When I saw you at the ice rink with someone else, I figured that I had lost my chance," he finished sheepishly.
Cornelia pulled back to look him in the eye, shaking her head. "I was being silly and stubborn and I'm so, so sorry," she said in a rare moment of self-criticism, which was not lost on Caleb.
"Almost as stubborn as me?" He laughed, breaking the tension.
"So we're...okay?" she asked tentatively.
"I'd say we're more than okay," he answered, closing the distance between them and kissing her, feeling her smile against his lips before kissing him back.
The first time Cornelia saw Caleb cry, she sat and listened as he explained his feelings around finding his father alive, and then learning that Nerissa was his mother. He could barely say the word and shuddered at the thought.
He had been acting calm and together in front of the other girls, but Cornelia saw through it. She couldn't even imagine what was going through his mind, but was shocked when she realized his true fear.
They had been strategizing with the other Guardians when she noticed Caleb slip out and found him sitting alone outside.
"I just - how do I know I'm not going to end up like her?" He rubbed his eyes roughly and shoved his hands through his hair in frustration.
"No, Caleb, you could never be anything like her. You've spent your entire life fighting for the good side." Cornelia faltered, trying to find the right words to reassure him.
How in the worlds am I supposed to do that when he just found out his mother is a literal monster?
Cornelia stood up, deciding to let him have some space. As she turned to go, she felt his hand grab her arm.
"Wait, I know I'm not the best company right now," he said quietly. "But would you stay and just sit here with me?"
Her heart ached at the emotion in his voice and she quickly sat back down, taking his hand in hers while he stared out at the Meridian landscape in front of them.
"Always," she whispered in response to his question.
The first time they spent the night together, all they did was sleep. They were still young, still in the middle of fighting evil (again), and exhausted.
Cornelia knew the other girls would tease her in the morning. They were all in Meridian strategizing against Nerissa. After everyone else had fallen asleep, Cornelia had snuck out to where she knew Caleb would be still awake as well, keeping watch.
"Hey," she said quietly, finding him keeping watch.
"Hey yourself," Caleb replied, voice hoarse from disuse. "I thought you all went to sleep hours ago."
"The others did. I couldn't sleep and thought you could use some company." She slid down the castle wall and sat next to him, shoulder to shoulder.
They talked quietly together until they were interrupted by two pairs of feet heading their way. Caleb quickly stood up, eyes narrowed until he realized they were friends.
Sighing with relief, he approached the newcomers.
"Aldarn, Vathek, shouldn't you be asleep?" The young leader embraced both men before turning to help Cornelia up. The soldiers nodded at her but kept their attention on Caleb.
"I could say the same about you. We figured you could use some rest," Aldarn said. "We'll take over watch from here."
"You too, Guardian," Vathek added.
Finding himself too tired to argue, Caleb nodded and thanked them. "I'll walk you back to the others," he said to Cornelia. After they were out of earshot, she stopped and turned to him.
"Wait, I was wondering, what if-" Cornelia said in a rush. "I mean, can I, um, stay with you?" she finished quietly.
Caleb's eyebrows shot up dramatically at that.
"To sleep, Caleb. I just think maybe I'd be able to fall asleep if I was with you..." she trailed off, uncertain. "I feel safer with you."
Caleb sighed in relief and took her hand, leading them to the room he had taken up residence in as Elyon's head of guard.
It was sparse for a room in a castle, but Cornelia didn't expect it to have many frills. She noted that it lacked any personal touches at all, but was too tired to bring it up. She figured it was a side effect of never staying in one place for too long.
Caleb sat down on his bed, taking off his boots and flopping backwards, patting the space next to him.
Blushing and wondering whether this had been a good idea after all, Cornelia tentatively curled up next to him.
After some awkward shifting around, they finally settled comfortably with Cornelia's head resting on Caleb's chest. Listening to his steady heartbeat, Cornelia soon found she was in fact able to quiet her racing mind enough to sleep.
Despite the new sensation of falling asleep with someone else, Caleb tightened his arms around her and joined her in sleep not long after.
Which is exactly how Irma and Hay Lin found them the next morning, wrapped up in each other but fully clothed. To Cornelia's annoyance, Irma's version of the story would later gain more colorful details.