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“But… well, it’s just a van! You can’t expect it to fly at that speed all the time. The fuel consumption grows exponentially.”

Roy winced. A lot of money for an interstellar snail, unless they planned to refuel at every harbour. He looked at the marvellous, onyx-coloured Grand Traveller next to them—but it was half the size and four times the price. “Any defence system?”

The vendor shook his head. “No active defence, but there is a very helpful onboard assistant.”

Fortunately, Roy managed to conceal his eye-roll by leaning down to inspect the identification plate, curious about the actual age of this thing. Onboard assistants were nothing but an artificial nuisance. And how exactly would it help in case of an attack? They’d have to steer away from the dangerous zones. Even the Empire’s outskirts wouldn’t be safe. Most of the planets on the outer ring advertised new routes and trade-friendly tolls, but the frequent accidents and disappearing ships were hardly a coincidence.

“May I take a look inside?” Cal asked.

“Sure.” Once Cal disappeared into the caravan, the vendor nudged Roy's ribs with his pointy elbow. “Nice catch you got there, lad.”

“Huh?” Roy shot him a look, rubbing his side.

“Ah, young love. So heartwarming to see.” The vendor's beard twitched. “My daughter just got engaged. I couldn't dream of a better daughter-in-law.”

“That's nice.” Roy's gaze flicked to the ground.

“Such a pretty guy. Is the hair natural?”

“Oh, we're—” Heat rose to Roy's face. He adjusted his jacket, as if that could erase his dishonesty. “Yeah, the colour's natural. I think.”

“I might be able to offer you two a tiny discount.” The vendor shifted, scratching his hairline. “Five per cent, maybe?”

“That's very generous of you.” Roy managed a smile, shame prickling beneath his skin. “Let me just talk to Cal.”

He hopped into the ship and found Cal perched in the pilot’s seat, as if instinct drove him there. The diagnostics panel’s monochromatic display flickered, progress bars filling slowly.

“She looks good,” Cal said with a faint smirk. “Might be the most boring ship I’ve ever seen, but she’ll fly.”

“Listen.” Roy chewed on his lip, sinking into the passenger seat. At least the onboard system seemed rather advanced—no need for a navigator with the detailed head-up map. “Um, the vendor seems to think we’re together. Like, you know, together.”

“Oh?” Cal leaned over the control panel, smoothing his ponytail. “Why?”

“No idea. But he offered us a discount.”

Cal’s head snapped to the side, a glow brightening the shadows that had settled across his face over the past few days. “Seriously? How much?”

“Five percent.”

“Hmm. Wanna bet I can get five more?”

Roy squinted. “How?”

“You’ll see.” Cal grinned and laced their fingers together.

Sparks travelled through the goosebumps on Roy’s forearm. He cursed the sensations that had always brought nothing but heartache and followed Cal out of the ship.

“I do like the ship, though the main engine will need a rebuild soon; there’s oil all over the bay. And the cryopod is rather outdated. It would need a bit of work before we could use it. What do you think, love?” Cal chirped and leaned to kiss Roy’s cheek.

Cal’s lips pressed against Roy’s skin like a branding iron. Roy suppressed the squeak clawing out of his throat. Instead, he forced a smile and wrapped an arm around Cal’s waist. “Yeah. I don’t know, sweetie. Maybe we should postpone the vacation. Save up for something better.”

“You know—I could, uh, let you have her for ninety-two thousand.”

“I’m afraid we can’t afford more than ninety,” Cal said, leaning his whole weight against Roy.

The vendor sighed and shook his head. “You’re robbing me, boys.”

“Oh, we don’t want to do any such thing.” Cal shifted, nuzzling Roy’s cheek once more. “We’re just a bit tight on money, that’s all.”