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A square room bathed in artificial light. Metal walls with an empty shelf here and there that wouldn’t fit even a third of her belongings. A tiny desk bound to give her back pain. A minuscule wash basin where cleaning her hands would inevitably end with half her body and the metal floor wet. No windows and not even a holoscreen to create the illusion of an outside view. In short, a colonist’s home. Gah.
Miya closed her eyes so that she could slip back into the sweet nothingness of sleep. But it happened again. The same thing that had interrupted her rest in the first place.
Her pillow moved.
Her eyes snapped open and took in the bed she was lying on.
Except she wasn’t lying on the bed, at least not entirely. She was on her side, head resting on Therak’s chest, breasts squished into his side, arm resting over his waist, and leg draped over his thigh. Too much wiggling on his part, and he risked getting kneed in the balls. That was the extent of his predicament.
Miya tentatively moved her head until she could look up at his face, hoping he was sleeping.
Bright blue eyes met hers.
“Galaxies, Therak, I’m so sorry! I promised to behave and here I am, acting like a boa constrictor from System 5.” She moved to get off him but he placed his hand over her hip, essentially locking her in place.
“It’s all right, Miya. I don’t mind.”
She searched his gaze. “Really? But I’m keeping you away from guard duty. Or did you already do that and come back to wake me up, only to end up a pillow?”
“I realized I should be able to hear any movement inside this building from here. No need to stand outside. It has been quiet thus far.”
Just realized that while snuggling with her, huh? Hmm. “Quiet is good... So, all this time you’ve been in bed with me?”
“You didn’t sleep long. An hour, perhaps. ”
“How long have I been using you as my pillow?” Please let her not have drooled on him.
“Since you fell asleep.”
Yup, she had drooled on him a bit. She quickly passed her sleeve over his pec in case he was yet to notice.
“I moved to leave once your breathing slowed down, but you protested in your sleep.” A small smile stretched his lips and his eyes filled with specks of yellow. “You threw an arm and leg over me and held on, muttering about holy Earth and space cows.”
Miya slapped a hand over her face. “So, so sorry. I don’t remember any of that. But you should have said something, Therak, now you’re surely stiff all over.”
“You needed the rest and, like I said, I didn’t mind. It was just that when you moved a minute ago, your hair began tickling my collarbone. I wasn’t ready for that sensation and shifted under you. I woke you and for that, I am sorry.”
She snickered. “Yes, human hair can do that to you. So, you’re ticklish?”
“Try to fall asleep again, Miya.”
“I don’t think I can.” She playfully ran the tip of a curl along his chest. “But no worries, I know just how to kill our spare time–”
“Miya–”
“–by talking.”
His eyes narrowed at her.
She grinned. “Didn’t expect an innocent suggestion from me, did you?”
Just the way she hadn’t expected that toe-curling kiss from him in the shower. Of course she wanted more of that, but she also wanted to get to know him better. And this peaceful moment, with him softened by the cuddling experience, was perfect for that.
She propped her chin on the side of his chest, using her palm as a cushion, and met his gaze. “Tell me more about you.”
The light blue in his eyes intensified. “What about me?”
“Anything you feel like sharing. I don’t want to be accused of interrogating you again.”
