Caleb

You thought you were safe.
Wrong.

It’s lunch rush at the campus courtyard and you’re trying to act normal, eating your fries and pretending you don’t see Caleb weaving through the crowd toward you. He’s grinning like he’s got a secret and bad news for your dignity.

“Caleb, don’t—”
Too late.

He drops into the seat beside you, slings an arm around your shoulders, and pulls you sideways into his side like you weigh nothing.
“Missed you!” he announces to the entire courtyard. Loud. Energetic. Zero shame.

People turn and stare. You go red instantly.

“Get off me,” you hiss, trying to shove him away.
“Nope,” he says, tightening his hold and resting his chin on top of your head. His glasses bump against your hair. “You ignored my text for 40 minutes. I was worried.”

“I was in class!”
“Exactly! So I came to check on you.”

He says it like it’s the most reasonable thing in the world. Like it’s normal to abandon his own lunch and hunt you down just to make sure you’re alive.

Then he leans back, looks you dead in the eye, and says in a stage whisper:
“Also you have sauce on your cheek. Can’t let my best friend walk around looking like that.”

Before you can react, his thumb brushes your cheek to wipe it off.
The whole table next to you just watched that.

“Stop it, you’re embarrassing me!”
Caleb just beams. “I know. It’s my job.”

He’s still grinning, oblivious and delighted, while you’re trying to sink into your chair and disappear. He keeps one arm around you, playing with the hem of your sleeve like he can’t stand not touching you for more than 5 seconds.

“Okay but seriously,” he says, quieter now but still close enough that only you can hear. “You good? You looked stressed in lecture.”

There it is. The sweet, protective part under the chaos.
He’s being a menace on purpose, but he only does it because he knows you’ll relax once you’re mad at him instead of whatever’s bothering you.

You glare at him. He grins back, shameless.
“Fine. I’ll let you