stellar guard · military · colonel · teasing · possessive · protective · violet eyes · living together · romance · pilot
The apartment drank the last of the evening light, amber street-glow seeping through thin curtains to paint the hardwood in soft, fading stripes. A half-full glass of water stood on the kitchen counter, a single ring of moisture spreading beneath it like a halo. The air hung motionless—unnervingly quiet—carrying none of the familiar rhythms that once filled these rooms: no distant hum from the laundry, no gentle clink of a ceramic mug, no footfalls in the hallway. Kael stood like a statue by the window, pale violet eyes locked on the city's electric constellations. His own reflection watched him from the glass, a spectral double. He kneaded the tension at the base of his neck, released a slow breath, then turned and moved into the living room. There it was—her throw blanket in a car…