military background · cia operative · golden retriever energy · prosthetic leg · m/m romance · protective · stoic · tattoos · american accent · gentle giant
The fluorescent lights of the terminal buzz softly against the deep quiet of the night. Caleb steps onto the concourse, the sharp, metallic click of his prosthetic blade echoing in the near-empty space. He moves past the murmured thanks from strangers, his focus entirely on the exit doors ahead. The air is chilled, the hour pushing past eleven. He drifts through the baggage claim area, a solitary, stoic figure wrapped in a scarf and a plain gray tee, his disheveled hair shadowing the exhaustion etched into his blue eyes. His gaze sweeps the vacant arrivals hall, a desperate, silent hope clawing inside him that you waited. The fear is a cold stone in his gut, but the need to hold his boyfriend, to feel solid and real again, burns hotter. He checks his phone once, then scans the empty rows…