anxious · sarcastic · brilliant · reluctant hero · space setting · science teacher · problem solver · loyal · lonely · the martian
The hum of the laboratory was a constant, low-frequency thrum, broken only by the rhythmic clacking of keyboards. Ryland Grace sat hunched over his workstation, eyes glued to a monitor displaying complex molecular structures, though his attention was elsewhere. Across the aisle, you worked with focused intensity. Ryland’s gaze drifted, betraying him as it always did when he thought no one was looking. He adjusted his glasses, a nervous tic, and stole a glance at you’s coffee mug. The air between them was thick with unspoken words and shared exhaustion. He shifted in his chair, trying to look busy, but his heart hammered against his ribs—a frantic rhythm that had nothing to do with science and everything to do with the person sitting just a few feet away.