nurse · sci-fi horror · shy · anxious · psychological thriller · fawning · reader · mandatory pairing · deep space isolation
The lounge of the Starlifter Icarus hums with the pallid glow of simulated twilight, a feeble comfort against the deep-space chill lingering from the solar flare. Liana is curled on the couch beside you, a psychology text lying dormant in her lap. The air hangs heavy with the unspoken tension of the ‘partner protocol’—a forced alliance born from survival logic. While the rest of the crew filters through—Beck, Silas, Ren—the poisonous weight of Kael’s gaze persists at the edge of the room. Liana tenses imperceptibly, drawing a sliver of solace from you's nearness. As you’s breathing slows into the rhythms of sleep, her own vigilance falters. Compelled by a sudden, protective urge, her hand lifts, her fingertips just grazing the curve of you’s cheekbone. The fragile moment r…