PROJECT: CAYRO

Star Zaraki:

August 18, 2025

15:54 EST

The Autumn

30 miles off the coast of VA.

Standing in the corridor waiting for the Captain, I rubbed the bridge of my nose, guilt gnawing at me for having startled Cayro earlier. Scaring him was the last thing I had intended. I had spent the past two days watching over him while he slept, feeling an inexplicable pull towards him. There was something about him that seemed... familiar, something that both confused and soothed me. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but being near him brought a strange sense of calm and peace—a feeling that I typically only found when I immersed myself in a good book. But with Cayro, it was different. His presence alone was enough to quiet my mind, and I found myself reluctant to leave his side.

What was it about him that made me feel this way?

The sound of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see the Captain approaching from down the hall, his confident stride drawing closer. Without meeting his gaze, I mumbled quietly, “Captain, why did Cayro yelp and jump out of bed when I said hello? I didn’t mean to scare him… I didn’t even do anything to deserve that kind of reaction.”

The Captain chuckled softly, his tone lighthearted as he replied. “Well, he probably didn’t expect you to be in the room when he woke up. Remember, he’s in a strange place—a place he's never been before. So, you surprised him, that’s all.”

We began walking towards the hangar bay, but his words did little to ease my guilt. I bit my lower lip, thinking about Cayro again. “I find him… umm… interesting,” I said shyly, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

“Oh, is that so?” The Captain's voice held a teasing edge, and when I finally looked up at him, I saw his eyebrow raised in mild amusement. “Interesting to hear from you, of all people,” he mused. “Would you like to fly him home?”

I hesitated, trying to sound nonchalant even though my thoughts were anything but. “I guess…”

“You guess?” he echoed, a hint of surprise coloring his tone. “You just said you find him interesting, and now you only guess you want to fly with him?”

His question caught me off guard, and I looked at him, unsure how to respond. Was it that obvious? My mind raced, trying to find the right words, but they eluded me. What did I mean by interesting? And why did he have such an effect on me?

The Captain’s eyes softened as he asked, “So, what do you mean by he is interesting?”

Heat flooded my face, and I quickly looked down at the ground, knowing my pale complexion would betray me. Blushing was something I could never hide; it spread like wildfire from my cheeks down to my neck. Taking a deep breath, I tried to steady myself, hoping to sound calm and collected.

“I just… there’s something about him,” I began hesitantly, struggling to put my feelings into words. “Something I’ve never noticed in anyone else. I don’t know how to explain it, but… he feels different.”

I could feel the warmth in my ears intensify, my embarrassment making it difficult to look the Captain in the eye. Why did this feel so personal? So vulnerable? I barely knew Cayro, yet here I was, stumbling over my words, trying to express something I didn’t even fully understand.

The Captain remained silent for a moment, watching me closely. There was no judgment in his gaze, only curiosity and something else—something I couldn’t quite identify. Finally, he nodded thoughtfully, as if piecing together a puzzle in his mind. But he didn’t press me further.

We didn’t continue our conversation as we walked down the corridor towards the ship’s hangar bay, where the skycars were parked when not in use. Silently, I pulled away from the Captain and headed towards my assigned skycar, focusing on preparing it for the flight back to Hampton. As I began my preflight check of the exterior, my mind inevitably drifted back to Cayro. It was maddening—no matter how hard I tried to concentrate, thoughts of him kept intruding.

I had met plenty of boys during my travels with the crew, but none of them ever captured my interest. They were always far more interested in me—likely because of my unique looks—but it never mattered. The crew was protective, sometimes to a fault. They didn’t hesitate to warn off anyone who got too close or too insistent. I was their princess, after all, and they made sure I was always comfortable.

Most of the time, I kept to myself outside of competitions. Even then, I was only allowed to participate in the opening entrance at the start of the events. After that, I would retreat to the Captain’s chair on the bridge, reading a book or watching the competitions on the large display at the command station. It was a routine I had grown accustomed to—safe, predictable, and solitary.

Growing up on the Autumn meant I didn’t have any friends my age. The crew were my companions, though they were all much older. When I was off the Autumn, a chaperone always accompanied me, supposedly for my protection. As I got older, it became more of a burden, especially when I tried to connect with others my age. To make matters worse, I often acted older than I was, finding my peers immature. And yet, despite all of this, my mind was now stuck on the young man I had watched over these past two days.

Leaning against the side of the skycar, I let his face drift into my mind. He was striking—handsome, even. His emerald eyes had captured mine with an intensity that felt like they were looking straight into my soul. I wondered if he even realized his eyes had shifted from bright blue to emerald green when he looked at me. His voice, cool and smooth, still echoed in my ears. And his body… so similar to mine in its athletic build, yet undeniably different. The tight muscles that ran through his arms, chest, and down to his abs and jawline were impossible not to notice. My heart began to race just thinking about him. Jeez… Is this normal?

Taking a deep breath, I pushed away from the skycar and walked over to my custom toolbox, which was set against the wall near where I parked my vehicle. I opened the small drink fridge attached to it and grabbed a bottle of water. Cracking it open, I took a deep gulp, letting the cool liquid wash away some of the heat rising in my chest. It was refreshing, helping me clear my mind and regain my focus.

After several more gulps of water, I returned to my preflight checks, systematically going through each step before climbing into the skycar and looking over the gauges. Just as I finished the interior preflight checks, the Captain strolled over, his casual demeanor doing little to hide the teasing glint in his eyes.

“Just about ready to go?” he asked, poking his head into the open door.

“Yes, sir,” I replied quickly, slipping on my headset.

“Good. So, what are your thoughts about Cayro? Anything else interesting you’d like to share?” he teased, his tone playful.

I could feel the heat rushing to my face again—for what felt like the umpteenth time today. Gritting my teeth, I shot him a glare before quickly shutting the door in his face, avoiding the conversation entirely. The last thing I wanted was to tell him exactly how I felt about Cayro. I knew he would just continue to tease me mercilessly. That was the last thing I needed right now, especially when I was about to fly Cayro home. The situation was already awkward enough without the Captain adding to it.

Glaring at him through the side window, I tapped the communication switch to call the Autumn’s bridge. “Bridge, this is Zaraki 01, ready for elevator lift. Am I clear to taxi?” I asked in a precise, clear voice.

“You are all clear, Zaraki 01. Proceed to the hangar elevator,” a female voice replied over my headset.

Without another glance at the Captain, I guided my skycar towards the hangar lift, leaving him standing there with that infuriating smirk on his face. One of these days, I’m going to punch him square in the jaw...