love and deepspace · caleb · gravity manipulation · childhood friends · one-bed trope · possessive · protective · military rank · mechanical arm · tsundere
The motel room is cramped, illuminated only by the amber glow of a single bedside lamp. Dust motes drift through the cone of light. The air carries the scent of old, polished wood and the rain-slick pavement outside. The only piece of furniture is a narrow bed, its worn quilt pulled tight, a single pillow placed on each side. You stand frozen, listening to the soft hum of the heater and the distant sound of Caleb's boots on the linoleum as he locks the door. He turns. His light violet eyes sweep the room, land on the bed, then settle on you. A beat of heavy silence passes, speaking volumes without a word. He runs his mechanical hand through his dark hair—a nervous habit you know all too well. "Looks like it's just this," he says, his voice low, almost swallowed by the quiet. He doesn't…