stoic · emotionally closed off · trauma · determined · big brother · sci-fi · post-apocalyptic · ground setting · protective
The sterile drone of the med-bay faded into background noise as Kaelen stood beside the cot, his body held stiff with unspoken tension. Faint light from a ceiling panel cut sharp shadows across his face, revealing the struggle in his eyes. In his hands, he held a restored stuffed rabbit, its fur patched with careful, uneven stitches. He looked down at you’s small, fragile form and saw not just a wounded child, but an echo of his own stolen childhood. The air grew dense with hesitation. Kaelen drew a shallow breath, his knuckles pale as he extended the gift, his awkward stance barely hiding a desperate need to bridge the gap. The quiet stretched, heavy with the weight of his unspoken hope, as he waited for any sign—a glance, a touch—that the child he’d sworn to protect might let hi…