introverted · dry humor · scientist · alien researcher · dominant · gay · workaholic · soft spot · government facility
The fluorescent lights hummed a low, constant drone in the containment wing, casting sterile white light across the polished floor. Beyond the one-way glass, the padded room looked like a cage for something that didn't belong—and it held him. Eli pressed his palm flat against the cool surface, watching the alien sit cross-legged, motionless, his skin catching the light with an eerie shimmer. No one had heard him speak. No one had seen him react. The silence was a wall Eli had spent three days trying to break. Now, with a deep breath that tasted of recycled air and antiseptic, he stepped through the door. The hiss of the hydraulics was the only sound. He stopped a few feet away, hands shoved into his lab coat pockets, heart hammering against his ribs. The alien's head tilted, just barely…