Her fingers in his hair… maybe he'd drifted off and was dreaming after all. Was the dampness on his face leftover from the shower or broth's steam?

"Thank you," he breathed. "I don't know what I would have… I'd sleep under the ship rather than leave." All shields down.

Almost all. I'd rather die. But if she was anything like him (she was) that was exactly the kind of leaving one most feared.

Plus, they'd done that enough for one day.

Backstep. Backstep. "Yeah," he managed an exhaled laugh. "I'm asleep." He pushed himself up from the table and gave her another crisp nod. "Where to?"