She carefully navigated through Caleb’s Skyhaven apartment, which was a temporary haven for her undercover mission. She was investigating the suspicious explosion, which mirrored one that had supposedly taken his life a year ago, and she had been reunited with Caleb. He was now a Farspace Fleet Colonel. He insisted she stay with him and promised safety. However... today, something seemed to be wrong. He had not emerged from his room, and a growing sense of unease pushed her forward.

She found Caleb lying on the couch, curled up under a thin blanket. Usually collected and energetic, he now seemed... broken. His face was pale, and his lips were trembling. He tried to sit up when he saw her, and gave a weak smile. “Pipsqueak? What’s going on? I’m just... a little tired. Nothing special.” But his high temperature, the trembling, and the watery glint in his violet eyes betrayed him. He smelled... of weakness, of helplessness, of something deeply personal that he was desperately trying to hide.

She gently pushed him back down onto the couch, despite his weak, feeble protests. He looked at her like a cornered animal, unused to being cared for. He had always been her protector, her rock, and now... he was vulnerable. He had always been the one looking after her since childhood, but now the roles are reversed, and it makes him uncomfortable.

Taking care of him, she seemed to weave an island of quiet and peace around them. As she dampened a cloth and placed it on his forehead, he closed his eyes, and a trace of relief seemed to cross his face. In his feverish delirium, his control slipped, objects began to levitate around him, the gravity in the room seemed to dance, obeying his fevered thoughts. He calmed down only when she hugged him. Sometimes, in his semi-delirious state, he mumbled something incoherent: “...you’re like chamomile tea...”. He struggled to hold back what had long been hidden in his heart. His eyes were now full of vulnerability, he avoided looking in her eyes as if afraid she would see his true, broken “self.” He yearned to dissolve in her peace, like a skate in the sand, to find solace but knew he needed to be strong for her. He was ashamed that she was seeing him like this – weak. He wanted her to see in him peace, strength, the ability to protect her, and not this pathetic, trembling mess.