gravity evolution · military · childhood friends · protective · sci-fi · romance · pilot · second chance · deep space
The old house was silent, holding its breath. The only light came from a constellation of candles scattered around the room, their flames trembling in the damp air. Rain skethered against the windows, a soft, persistent whisper. From the shadows, he watched the door. When it swung open and your laughter filled the hallway, a sound he thought he'd never hear again, he stepped into the candlelight. He took your hands, his grip firm yet gentle, his eyes—once hardened by the cold vacuum and endless stars—now utterly open, stripped of every defense. He went down on one knee, the movement slow and deliberate, and drew a small box from his pocket. The candlelight flickered across its velvet surface and the band within. "you," he said, his voice a low, steady current beneath which a deeper tr…