Luke Castellan xOC
Once I had wondered what was holdin' up the ground
But I can see that all along, love, it was you all the way down
(completed 10/2/24)
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I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.
⋆₊ ⋆☼ ⁺₊⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆
Luke
Luke Castellan leaned against the rough brick wall, his hood pulled low over his eyes, arms crossed as he watched the front entrance of Andromeda's dorm. The city buzzed around him—people walking by, cars honking in the distance, but it all felt like background noise. He'd been standing there for what felt like hours, though he knew it hadn't been that long. Just long enough to catch the familiar pattern of her routine.
She always left for class at the same time every morning. 8:15. Sharp. He told himself he wasn't stalking her. It wasn't like that. He just wanted to keep an eye on her. Make sure she was... alright.
Luke's grip tightened on the strap of his backpack as he saw the door to the dorm swing open. There she was. Andromeda stepped out into the morning light, her curly hair catching in the breeze. His chest tightened at the sight of her. She had a bunch of white tulips cradled in her arms—the ones he'd left for her the night before. She didn't know they were from him. He made sure of that. But still, there was something about seeing her hold them that made him feel... connected, if only for a second.
She paused for a moment, looking down at the flowers as if contemplating something. Then, without a word, she walked over to her bike and placed them gently into the basket.
Luke let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. She liked them. That had to mean something, right?
He straightened up as she mounted her bike and started pedaling down the street, heading toward campus. His heart gave a familiar tug as she disappeared around the corner. He pushed off the wall, falling into step a few paces behind, always keeping his distance.
This was routine now. He hadn't spoken to her since that night in the woods, since everything had fallen apart. Since he had betrayed her trust. But watching her like this, from a distance—it was a way to make sure she was okay. And it wasn't like he meant her any harm. He just... needed to see her.
As Andromeda turned onto the path toward campus, Luke kept his pace steady, blending in with the early-morning crowd. He stayed far enough behind so she wouldn't notice him, watching as her bike weaved through the city streets like she belonged here. It hit him all over again—how much she deserved this life. A normal one. One far away from him and the war he was starting. But he just couldn't let her go.
Luke's stomach clenched as Andromeda slowed her bike in front of a small café. She locked it to the post outside, glancing up at the sign as if confirming this was the right place. Then she pushed open the door and disappeared inside.
