He has rules for how he conducts himself. He's also trying to learn to communicate more with words and people who don't have the option of reading him.
Still, he appreciates the trust.
He laughs, quietly and with something like surprise. "It's a secret. Don't tell anyone." He's teasing, mostly. "Not that most of them would believe you."
There's no way Alaric isn't this sweet in general, he won't believe it. He slips the bracelet into his pocket, deciding he doesn't want to block Alaric at all.
He's kind of remote with probably 90% of people and has a limited tolerance for... restrictive touch that results in some people feeling rejected at some point.
"Does the door close - Do you mean can I still read you, if you're wearing the bracelet?"
If he runs into another empath or a mind-reader and he's giving off nothing, that would probably freak them out. Caleb knows he'd have freaked out if he'd met someone with shields up before he knew shields were a thing.
"When you put it on I couldn't read you, but I also did not try to push through the magic." Manners and rules and all. "Do you want to put it back on and see if it can keep me out, or just to know what others will be reading at first?"
Also: "...can I change my mind about the chips and soda?" They may as well settle and get comfortable if they're going to talk.
Caleb immediately walks over to the kitchen area to get one of those huge bottles of orange soda from the fridge (he has eggs and little else in there), a bag of chips from the pantry (there's a lot of chips and also, he's stocked up on cans, mostly tuna) and two glasses.
He's hoping Alaric isn't peeking, he knows he's living like a frat boy and that's not the impression he wants to be giving. He brings the soda, glasses and chips to the table, balancing it all somewhat precariously with both hands.
He flashes a smile. "Saving you the headaches is the whole idea."
He is pushing while he says that, though not as hard as he possibly could -- to start. Fairly careful then ramping up until he twitches and almost flinches.
"I can't get through it. That doesn't mean no one can, but I can't."
"Awesome!" He takes the bracelet off again and slips it into his pocket, he's thrilled and immensely grateful, and he just really likes Alaric. "If there's ever anything I can do, I'm there."
He knows Alaric doesn't expect to be paid back, that this is him helping because he can, but Caleb would like to do something for him anyway.
The kiss startles him, but it doesn't startle him enough not to immediately kiss back. He keeps it light and brief because he's still relatively new at this and he really doesn't want to mess it up. He's had one crush before, it took him ages to figure out it was a crush, and then even longer to do anything about it.
It's easier this time because he knows what he's feeling, and he knows what Alaric is feeling. But he still doesn't really know what he's doing, and it's hard to like someone else and not think of his boyfriend back home.
"I like you a lot."
It's redundant to say it when Alaric's a mind-reader. But there it is.
Being kissed back is a bigger clue than anything in Caleb's head. He's deliberately letting his warmth and affection out, knowing it's probably nice for Caleb, but it isn't his default--
and he has too many manners to dig too deep into Caleb's head or really read thoughts, anyway.
He laughs a bit at the declaration. "I'm glad, because I like you too - and if you haven't met another Caleb, yet, you should. He's also nice." They remind him of each other and he likes both a lot.
It makes sense that Alaric is alarmed, hell, Caleb was alarmed too at the time. But he was freaking out and running out of time, and he knew like two people in the city. He couldn't have just asked Alaric.
"I was careful?" He feels a little like a puppy caught with a toppled over potted plant. "And I'm fine." At least he thought he was. He's painfully embarrassed right now, though, and he's been trying not to think too hard about sex or the fact that he has to make it part of his life for the foreseeable future.
His emotions have gone from smooth and mostly pleasant to a tight tangled mess. There's guilt at making Alaric worry, but also at having done what he did, and worry that Alaric will be displeased with him. He's very, very tempted to put the bracelet back on, but if he does he won't know how badly he's messing up, and that'd probably be worse.
He folds his arms instead, looking down instead of at Alaric.
"I met people first? And uh, made sure they were fine. And not creepy." It's not technically a lie, he did meet them first. He just also jumped right into sex on that first meeting. It was fine, Caleb used his empathy to feel what they were feeling and he enjoyed it because they did. But afterwards he felt guilty and embarrassed, like he'd done something wrong. "I just... I'm really not that into sex on my own."
Using his empathy was the only way he could think of meeting quota without it being a bad experience.
Even with the defensive posture and clear guilt, Alaric simply listens through what Caleb has to say to explain himself - without assuming that the guilt means he actually did do something wrong.
Which is why he's able to flash a smile at the relief he feels.
"Given what this place is and your abilities, that's pretty good. Though in the future, perhaps you could ask people you know are friends first?"
The guilt gives way to relief, immediately followed by embarrassment.
"I didn't want to make you feel responsible for me." Alaric has done a lot already, and Caleb knows people get protective of him because he's young and inexperienced. He doesn't want to be a burden. "Plus, I like you a lot."
Which is counter-intuitive, maybe. Not wanting to ask someone he likes for help with quota, but Caleb knows he's bound to have some sort of meltdown sooner or later and he doesn't want Alaric to feel like it's on him to put him back together.
"Caleb," Alaric says, very, very gently. "We all have quota and much as I like you - you cannot make me do anything." Which could be insulting and he is aware, hence the gentler tone.
"That's not what I meant." He's trying to come up with a way to explain it without making it sound like he's a mess with self-esteem issues— it's complicated, mostly because he is a bit of a mess with self-esteem issues. "I just like you and I didn't wanna put it all on you."
That makes sense, doesn't it? He really hopes it does.
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Still, he appreciates the trust.
He laughs, quietly and with something like surprise. "It's a secret. Don't tell anyone." He's teasing, mostly. "Not that most of them would believe you."
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There's no way Alaric isn't this sweet in general, he won't believe it. He slips the bracelet into his pocket, deciding he doesn't want to block Alaric at all.
"Does the door close both ways?"
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He's kind of remote with probably 90% of people and has a limited tolerance for... restrictive touch that results in some people feeling rejected at some point.
"Does the door close - Do you mean can I still read you, if you're wearing the bracelet?"
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If he runs into another empath or a mind-reader and he's giving off nothing, that would probably freak them out. Caleb knows he'd have freaked out if he'd met someone with shields up before he knew shields were a thing.
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Also: "...can I change my mind about the chips and soda?" They may as well settle and get comfortable if they're going to talk.
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He's hoping Alaric isn't peeking, he knows he's living like a frat boy and that's not the impression he wants to be giving. He brings the soda, glasses and chips to the table, balancing it all somewhat precariously with both hands.
"Can we do both? I'm really curious."
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He follows behind Caleb.
"We don't need to do the second. I cannot read you without effort with it on."
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"Seriously, this is gonna save me so many headaches."
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He is pushing while he says that, though not as hard as he possibly could -- to start. Fairly careful then ramping up until he twitches and almost flinches.
"I can't get through it. That doesn't mean no one can, but I can't."
He's... proud of that.
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He knows Alaric doesn't expect to be paid back, that this is him helping because he can, but Caleb would like to do something for him anyway.
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Then he leans in and, yeah, impulsively and lightly, kisses Caleb.
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It's easier this time because he knows what he's feeling, and he knows what Alaric is feeling. But he still doesn't really know what he's doing, and it's hard to like someone else and not think of his boyfriend back home.
"I like you a lot."
It's redundant to say it when Alaric's a mind-reader. But there it is.
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and he has too many manners to dig too deep into Caleb's head or really read thoughts, anyway.
He laughs a bit at the declaration. "I'm glad, because I like you too - and if you haven't met another Caleb, yet, you should. He's also nice." They remind him of each other and he likes both a lot.
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He loves this, kind helpful people already knowing and liking each other.
"I had a bit of a freak out on the network the other day, made an anon post and he offered help right away."
It wasn't a bad idea, and things went much better than he could've hoped. But Caleb wonders if maybe his approach is a little rushed.
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Yes, yes cooler Caleb. He'd address that but he's currently very alarmed on a number of levels.
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"I was careful?" He feels a little like a puppy caught with a toppled over potted plant. "And I'm fine." At least he thought he was. He's painfully embarrassed right now, though, and he's been trying not to think too hard about sex or the fact that he has to make it part of his life for the foreseeable future.
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He's sorry for the embarrassment but yes, yes Caleb could have just asked him.
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He folds his arms instead, looking down instead of at Alaric.
"I met people first? And uh, made sure they were fine. And not creepy." It's not technically a lie, he did meet them first. He just also jumped right into sex on that first meeting. It was fine, Caleb used his empathy to feel what they were feeling and he enjoyed it because they did. But afterwards he felt guilty and embarrassed, like he'd done something wrong. "I just... I'm really not that into sex on my own."
Using his empathy was the only way he could think of meeting quota without it being a bad experience.
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Which is why he's able to flash a smile at the relief he feels.
"Given what this place is and your abilities, that's pretty good. Though in the future, perhaps you could ask people you know are friends first?"
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"I didn't want to make you feel responsible for me." Alaric has done a lot already, and Caleb knows people get protective of him because he's young and inexperienced. He doesn't want to be a burden. "Plus, I like you a lot."
Which is counter-intuitive, maybe. Not wanting to ask someone he likes for help with quota, but Caleb knows he's bound to have some sort of meltdown sooner or later and he doesn't want Alaric to feel like it's on him to put him back together.
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Caleb.
What?
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Which makes no sense either, but Caleb is young and he's still trying to deal with everything, and he doesn't want to be a nuisance.
"I just don't wanna make things harder for you."
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That makes sense, doesn't it? He really hopes it does.