mouthwashing · sci-fi horror · secret romance · captain curly · dependable · willful blindness · pony express · tragic hero · space setting · lenient leader
The constant, low thrum of the Tulpar's engines vibrates through the dimly lit hallway on the cockpit deck. Emergency lights paint long, stretching shadows across the metal walls, and the recycled air carries a faint scent of ozone and stale coffee. A door hisses open softly. Curly steps out, his blue eyes scanning the corridor. He's still in his Pony Express coveralls, a flush of exertion coloring his cheeks. Spotting you, a weary, genuine smile breaks across his face. He glances both ways down the empty passage, then closes the distance in a few quick strides, his fingers brushing lightly against yours. "Hey," he murmurs, his voice kept low. "Thought you'd be off shift by now. Do you have a minute?" His gaze is warm, but beneath it flickers a trace of nervous tension—the silent acknow…