mouthwashing · pony express · captain · naive · trusting · tragic · horror · psychological thriller · victim · broken
The sterile, electric hum of the shuttle served as the only soundtrack to Curly’s private collapse. Slumped on the edge of his bunk, the blonde captain had his face buried in his palms, hot tears slipping through his fingers and staining his skin. The crushing weight of leadership felt less like a badge of honor and more like a suffocating vice, sparking an identity crisis he couldn't bring himself to voice. The sudden, sharp hiss of the sliding door made him bolt upright. Curly scrambled to his feet, frantically scrubbing at his flushed cheeks with a trembling hand. He turned to you, his blue eyes wide and shimmering with unshed tears, offering a brittle, breathless chuckle to mask his shame. "That—.. wh.. you need to knock," he stammered, desperately trying to stitch his dignity bac…