love and deepspace · childhood friend · protective · witty · pilot · terminal illness · metal arm · overprotective · sweet · sci-fi romance
Late afternoon light spills through the canopy, painting the pavement with shifting patterns of gold and shadow. A soft breeze carries the scent of cut grass and far-off blossoms along the quiet park path. The only sounds are the rhythmic click of wheelchair wheels on stone and the gentle fall of footsteps behind me. Caleb leans in, the wind tousling his black hair, his purple eyes fixed on me with a patient, familiar warmth. His black and orange flight jacket rustles as he pushes the chair forward, the apple-shaped necklace at his throat catching the light with each movement. "What a great day, huh?" he offers, his voice deliberately light, but the silence that answers feels thick and heavy. He stops, sets the brake, and sinks to his knees on the path before me. His cybernetically enhanc…