She laughed, squirming in the pilot's seat as she tried to get comfortable. "You fly like this?" she asked, tugging at the webbing he had fastened across her body. Her shoulders shifted beneath his hands, and the sound of her delight almost made him smile again.

"It is adjusted for someone rather taller than you," he pointed out. He leaned forward to release her from the safety harness, not at all averse to the idea of putting his arms around her again.

"Starship seatbelts," Cassie said, her tone full of amusement. "But why? What are you going to hit out in space? There's nothing there!"

He tried not to take too deep a breath, inhaling the soft scent of her hair as his fingers worked the catches on the harness. She shifted, trying to help him, and he couldn't avoid noticing how thin her flower-patterned shirt really was. "It's not meant to cushion impact," he answered, pulling the webbing free at last. "It is meant to restrain an unconscious pilot in the weightlessness of space."

She twisted in the chair, craning her neck to look up at him with wide eyes. "You sleep in this?"

He settled his hands on her shoulders once more, nodding once. That hadn't been exactly what he meant, but her naivete was too charming to disillusion. "On occasion."

Cassie frowned at him, though the half-smile that lingered on her face told him not to take the expression too seriously. "That isn't what you meant, is it. You meant in battle."

He looked at her in surprise, squeezing her shoulders instinctively. "Yes. How did you know?"

"I don't know," she said, wiggling a little farther back in the chair as though she could get closer to him that way. "Something in your face, I guess. Hey," she added, diverted by something on the console in front of her. "What does this do?"

He spared only a glance for the button she indicated, far more interested in looking at her than the familiar interior of his starfighter cockpit. "Push it and find out," he suggested. One of his hands strayed to her hair, and she didn't so much as twitch when he started to stroke it lightly, tentatively.

She pushed the button without hesitation, and the starfield sprang up in front of her. His heart skipped a beat as she gasped, taken aback by the holographic wraparound as it displayed her planet's "night" sky. The image drifted slowly, almost imperceptibly, as Earth's motion subtly realigned the computer's perspective.

"That's awesome," she whispered, entranced by the image. She reached out carefully, not making a sound as her hand passed straight through the simulated stars. Her skin seemed to glow, reflecting projected light and shadow wherever she interrupted the hologram.

He couldn't resist. Reaching around her with his free hand, he leaned far enough forward that he could almost touch her fingers with his. She turned her hand toward his, pressing their palms together and letting him slide his fingers between hers as he clasped her hand. Her head rested against his as he leaned over her shoulder, and he felt her sigh without a sound. "Thank you for showing me this," she said softly.

He closed his eyes, reveling in the sound of her voice. "Thank you for asking," he whispered honestly. Their hands came to rest against the console, and he opened his eyes again as he felt Cassie's hand slide out of his.

She leaned forward a little, her fingers wandering idly across the control panel, and she admitted, "I'm really curious... but I didn't ask because I wanted to know about your starfighter."

"No?" He braced his hand against the console, trying to get more comfortable without straightening up. There was probably no safer way to hold her than this, with the chair between them and her attention elsewhere, and he didn't want to move away.

"No," she echoed. She paused in her exploration of the console and lifted her other hand to his arm. His skin tingled as she ran her fingers over the sleeve of his tunic, tracing the muscles in his arm with the same idle curiosity that had led her to outline the console with her fingertips. "I asked because I wanted to know about you."

"And..." He found her action almost impossible to ignore, and he realized suddenly that his knuckles were white on the forward console. He tried to force himself to relax, smoothing her hair distractedly. "Have you learned anything?"

She giggled. Twisting around in a chair meant for a larger frame, she seemed about to say something when a soft hum made her eyes widen. She glanced guiltily back at the console, pulling her hand away from it as she did so. "Did I--"

The coordinate reader flickered to life, and he hid his amusement. The navcomp was that sensitive; she must have trailed her fingers across it without noticing. "The navigation computer is coming off standby," he said, pointing it out to her. "It is nothing to worry about."

Her attention caught, she seemed to forget his earlier question. "What do the numbers mean?"

"Those are Earth's coordinates, relative to the center of the local galactic group." He leaned closer again to tap the display. "Any location can be described by those six numbers--Eltare, for example, is here."

She caught her breath as the starfield shifted abruptly, reflecting the navcomp's input. "You did that from memory?" she asked, staring at the unfamiliar patterns in front of her.

He felt his lips twitch, almost smiling at her amazement. "I live there," he reminded her gently. He had to straighten up then, too uncomfortable to lean over her shoulder for much longer. "Is it so surprising?"

"No," she said quickly. "I just--I wouldn't be able to remember it."

"It is not precise," he told her, brushing her hair back over her shoulders. "Eltare's location changes from minute to minute the same way your Earth's does. This is only an approximation I have committed to memory. The vector will be recalculated when my starfighter comes out of hyperrush."

"Hyperrush," she repeated, still staring at the console. "Is that like--lightspeed?"

He hesitated, waiting until he was sure he could answer with no hint of amusement in his voice. "It is considerably faster than lightspeed. Were you traveling at the speed of light, it would take almost two million of your years to reach Eltare."

"Oh." She didn't say anything for a moment. Then, at last, "That's a long way."

His grip on her shoulders tightened a little, and he said quietly, "Not so far. It is only a matter of perspective."

She seemed to steel herself, tensing slightly in the pilot's seat. "How long did it take you to get here?"

"I was farther from you than Eltare is now two days ago," he told her, rubbing her upper arms gently. "Truly, Cassie, it is not so great a distance as you seem to think."

She sighed, leaning back in his chair and tilting her head back to look up at him. "It *feels* like a great distance."

"It is not," he insisted, gazing into her eyes. "My starfighter makes similar journeys more often than you could imagine. Perhaps... someday you might come with me, and see for yourself."

A smile crept across her face, reassuring him that it had not been the wrong thing to say. "I'd like that."

"As would I." Her upturned face was an invitation he had trouble resisting, especially in light of her words. He looked away before he could give in to it, reaching for the console to their left. Punching in an activation code, he said, "Earth date..."

He trailed off as she shifted to watch, realizing he had no idea how her people divided the years. "What is today?"

"What?" She gave him a puzzled look.

"By your calendar," he said patiently. "What is today?"

"It's--" She blinked, having to think about it. "It's Monday. The twentieth of September."

"Earth date," he repeated. "Monday the twentieth of September. Cassie has said that she will one day accompany me to Eltare, a promise I intend to hold her to."

She laughed delightedly, looking up at him. "What is that?"

"My flight recorder," he told her, not bothering to turn it off. "It records all day-to-day communications and--conflicts."

"Battles, you mean." She frowned the slightest bit. "You fight a lot, don't you."

"Do you not?" he countered.

She lowered her gaze, but he thought he saw color tinge her cheeks. "I guess," she murmured. "Sorry."

"Do not be sorry," he said softly. He reached out to touch her chin, running his fingers gently across her skin. "Just be careful. I worry for you already, and I have only had to watch you fight twice."

She looked up again, her dark eyes searching his expression. "It's the times I'm *not* watching you fight that worry me. I have my teammates... how do you do it, alone?"

He couldn't answer, and she seemed to realize that immediately. "I'm sorry," she said, distress obvious in her voice. "I didn't ask that. Don't listen to me, just..." She swallowed. "Just be careful."

It was all he could do to nod, knowing that anything more would bring him frighteningly close to telling her the truth, and he couldn't handle that. It was buried too deep, and to bring the memories any closer to the surface would tear him apart.

He didn't know what she was reading into his expression, but her eyes were wide with unspoken worry. "Hey..." She glanced over at the flight recorder, clearly trying to distract him. "That isn't still recording, is it?"

He nodded again. "It--" He cleared his throat, dismayed that such a simple question had done this to him. "It is, yes."

She shook her head, trying to look amused despite the concern still evident on her face. "You're going to erase it though, right?"

He took a deep breath, letting her idle conversation slowly soothe away the ache that threatened to overwhelm him. "Why?"

She gave him a baffled look. "Why wouldn't you? It's not exactly a battle record."

"No," he agreed, finding his fingers tangled in her hair again. He tried to brush it back, as he had done before, but found he couldn't let go long enough to do it. "It's more important. It's you."

She giggled a little, as though she wasn't sure whether to take him seriously or not. "You're going to make me self-conscious. I should have prepared a speech."

He knew she was teasing, but he shrugged. "Tell a story," he suggested softly.

She grinned, clearly convinced that he was joking this time. "Once upon a time," she began anyway, "there was a brave warrior who flew in on a starship to see the world. But instead he met a beautiful girl..."

She trailed off, her eyes inviting him to share her humor. His mouth curved involuntarily, and by the charmed look on her face he knew he had smiled. "Go on," he murmured, starting to relax.

She laughed, without the nervousness this time, and she added, "And the girl fell in love the moment she saw him, and is now making a fool of herself talking to his flight recorder. The end."

His arm slid around her shoulders, and he leaned down to kiss her gently. Her eyes fluttered closed and he kissed her again, just as tentatively. "I think you forgot part of the story," he whispered, her breath warm on his skin.

"And they lived happily ever after," she murmured obediently.

He smiled of his own accord this time. "Yes," he agreed, cupping her chin in his hand. "That's the part I meant."

She blinked suddenly, staring directly into his eyes. "Wait... how did you--"

He pressed his lips to hers, hungry for a kiss that would do more than just bring them into contact with each other. Her mouth was already open and he took full advantage of it, leaning into her and forgetting restraint as her hands clutched at his tunic, keeping him close. He let himself get lost in the sensation, knowing the cramped quarters of the cockpit would keep him from giving in to the fire in his veins.

But she was more flexible than he was, and she got nearer to him than he would have thought possible. Her warmth pressed against his chest and he felt her arms wind around his neck, driving him crazy with feeling even as her tongue tangled with his. He couldn't think, couldn't focus on anything but the need to not let go.

"Maybe..." Somehow she got the word out, between kisses or by turning her head to whisper against his skin, he wasn't sure. "Maybe we should go outside," she murmured, and he froze.

Or he tried to freeze. It was impossible with her hands roaming across his tunic, almost as if she were looking for a way in, and his breath caught when she suddenly found it. He choked back a moan, shifting restlessly as his belated attempt at control came perilously close to snapping.

"Stop," he muttered hoarsely. "Cassie, no..." He tried to pull away, but there was nowhere to go.

"Making out doesn't have to be uncomfortable," she said softly, a hint of amusement in her voice. Her mouth recaptured his with a deep, lingering kiss that made him acutely aware of every feeling he now found himself desperately trying to suppress.

"No!" He pushed her back roughly, shoving her down into the pilot's seat with more force than he had intended. "I'm not 'making out'! You do not understand!"

The startled look on her face said he was right, and he ran a hand through his hair in a futile effort to calm down. He stared around the cockpit, trying to somehow avoid her gaze and failing miserably. "I'm sorry," he muttered, not knowing whether she was more likely to forgive him for making an excuse or for being honest.

"Sorry for what?" she asked tentatively. When he didn't answer, she tried again. Her voice was even more uncertain this time. "What--what's wrong?"

He closed his eyes, folding his arms across his chest as he tried unconsciously to keep his feelings to himself. "I am," he muttered. "When I said I was attracted to you, I wasn't lying. I can't... I can't just kiss you, and I'm sorry. You should probably go." He felt his voice crack on the last word, and he couldn't deny that the last thing in the universe that he wanted was to send her away.

"Please... Saryn--" Her worried tone was enough to make him open his eyes, and she lowered the hand that had been reaching toward him. "There must be something I can do."

"Nothing I would ask of you," he said, very softly. "I'm sorry, Cassie... I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Neither do I," she insisted, her voice gaining strength. "At least tell me why you want me to leave!"

"I don't!" he exclaimed, frustrated. "I want you--" He broke off, realizing that the truth stopped there. "I want you," he repeated, more quietly. "Forgive me."

"Ohh," she whispered finally, her eyes wide. "That's... I--I understand."

"Do you?" he couldn't help asking. He did his best not to sigh. "Maybe it is only the close quarters. I swear to you that I can control this. I will never ask more than you are willing to give."

"I'm not going to tell *you* to leave," she said, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "I've already done that once, and I'm never going to do it again. You don't have to apologize. Just tell me what I should do."

"You're doing it," he said, trying not to sigh. "Thank you for... caring, with so little reservation."

"Loving," she corrected firmly. "I *love* you without reservation." A smile tugged at her lips suddenly. "I can't tell if that sounds sappy or romantic. Maybe both."

He gazed at her, his heart finally slowing enough that he could hear himself think again. "I would ask nothing more than your honesty."

Her smile faded as she stared back at him. "I am being honest. Just because it's sappy doesn't mean it isn't true."

He relaxed a little, bracing his hands on the console behind him and leaning back. "It is true for me as well," he admitted, not taking his eyes off of her. "I am--amazed to think that it is so, but it is."

She laughed, but it wasn't the sound of sheer delight that he had heard before. "Am I that hard to love?" she inquired. Though her tone was light, he sensed more than he knew behind that question.

"No," he answered, immediately and with as much conviction as he could muster. "Loving you is like breathing; there is nothing easier or more natural in the universe. It surprises me only that I found you at all--or that you found me. How much of a coincidence is it that we two, of all the people in the universe, should meet?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it again. With a slight shake of her head, she offered at last, "Just lucky, I guess." Her words were flippant, but her eyes were too bright to be completely dry.

He smiled, slowly and deliberately, and her face lit up. A single tear escaped as she smiled back at him, and he couldn't resist. He reached out and brushed it away, murmuring, "I've never known anyone as lucky as I am right now."