W.I.T.C.H. does not belong to me. If it did, Caleb and Cornelia would not have broken up in the books.
Set after the end of the Second Season of the animated show, during their Winter Holidays. They're in Meridian. CxC, fluffy like cotton candy. Oneshot.
Catch a Falling Star
By Racxiam
Soft, fluttery breath traveled over Caleb's cheek, and he glanced down to see Cornelia sigh contentedly. He squeezed her shoulder affectionately, and her big, blue eyes turned up towards him, a smile on her pale pink lips.
"Caleb, this is so...perfect." She breathed, and lifted her head from his chest to peck him on the cheek softly. "How did you know about this place?" She looked around the abandoned mountain peak they were nestled atop, sprawled out on a blanket spread over a resiliently lush patch of grass that somehow managed to cover the plateau. Above them, the sky stretched out endlessly, the milky way directly over their heads,it seemed so close that Cornelia could reach up and pluck a star from the heavens if she so desired.
Caleb shrugged. "My dad showed it to me when I was younger...he said he used to bring my mother up here." He explained, and teased a lock of her long, golden hair between his fingers. "I come up here to be alone, to think..." Cornelia snuggled closer against his chest, nestling her head on his shoulder, her arm wrapped around his torso snugly.
"You're not alone now." She reminded him, her eyes back on the stars above them, gazing skyward. Caleb's eyes, however, were fixed on her.
"I know." He murmured after a moment, and leaned his own head back into the grass just as she lifted hers, a playful smile on her face.
"Oh? Cause you're not acting like it, you know." She pulled herself up so she was halfway sitting up, her weight supported on one hand in the grass, and she leaned over him, her long hair falling over her shoulder and tickling his neck. She unwrapped her other arm from around him and walked her fingers up his chest to his chin, and tapped him on the nose. Now when he looked up, all he could see was her face...and he had to admit, it was just as dazzling as the sky.
"So tell me how I'm supposed to act, if you're such an expert." Caleb countered, his arm already snaking around her middle to hold her close. He was smiling too, an eyebrow quirked, as he looked up at her.
"Well, for starters..." She leaned down to put her lips right next to his ear, her hand just barely touching his other cheek as she spoke in a whisper, "...you could tell me how beautiful I am..." Caleb smiled.
"You know how beautiful you are." He teased, not giving in to her whims so easily. She drew back, pouting.
"How can I? You never tell me so." Cornelia sniffed, and looked away from him. Caleb chuckled, and reached a hand up to cup her cheek.
"Yeah, but part of why I love you so much is because you're confident enough that you don't need anyone to tell you things like that. You know it already." He rubbed his thumb along her cheekbone softly, and she looked down at him.
"But that doesn't mean that I don't want to hear it from you..." She pouted, and Caleb sat up, smiling. He pulled her face closer to hers, almost until their noses were touching.
"Cornelia...you are the single most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life." That brought a smile to her face, and she pecked him on the lips quickly. "You're also the bossiest and the most stubborn, but for some reason...why are you looking at me like that?" Now, Caleb had expected anger, possibly even violence from his girlfriend at his words, but that wasn't what was freaking him out. She was looking at him in dumbfounded awe, blinking rapidly, a slight flush to her cheeks, and Caleb pressed his hand to her forehead. "Do you have a fever? Because you don't look so good."
"You-y-you said..." She stuttered, which was also unusual...since when did Cornelia Hale stutter, over anything? "...you said you love me!" She blurted, only now her look of shock mirrored his own, as he backtracked through their conversation and found the incriminating words. Damn...how could he let it slip out like that?
"Uh...yeah..." He answered at long last, sheepishly, and looked down, picking at the grass absently with his free hand. Although he'd deny it later, there was a definite rouge tint to his cheeks. Cornelia was still blushing, but she had to ask...she ducked her head down, trying to get him to look her in the eye.
"Um...Caleb...did you...did you mean it? For real?" She asked, eyes wide, fingers crossed in the grass(although she hoped he couldn't see that). Caleb swallowed the lump in his throat, give him a giant lizard to slay, sure, he'd charge into that task, but ask him to express his emotions to his girlfriend? Nope. The rebel leader was no good at this 'feeling' stuff. He looked into her eyes, and nodded quickly. "Caleb?"
Since she wasn't going to accept this without a verbalized reply, Caleb reached out and cupped her face with his hand, holding her steady while he pressed his lips against hers. Her lips were rigid and shocked at first, but as he moved his lips ever so gently, they softened, and soon her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, and he'd pulled her into his lap, cradling her soft, thin frame delicately. When he finally pulled back to take a breath, he breathed the words she longed to hear against his lips. "Yes, Cornelia, I meant it." She smiled, her lips still deliciously swollen from kissing him so much, her cheeks flushed...she looked amazing. Caleb stroked her hair behind her ear, and she pecked him on the lips quickly.
"I love you too." She said, softly, her eyes downcast. Caleb placed a hand under her chin to lift her face to look her in the eye, and he smirked, then kissed her again.
Above, the stars smiled down on the happy couple, although a few shooting stars were most disgruntled when even they went unnoticed.