Chapter 24 - Sleep Over!

Once inside, I changed into my warm pajamas. Despite the lack of flannel, the fabrics Emily and Zoe had chosen felt surprisingly good, soft, breathable, and insulating against the ship’s subtle chill. As I settled under my comforter, I made a mental note to check the thermostat in Emily’s room. She was always cold; maybe it was malfunctioning. I was a little worried about her. Just as sleep began to tug at my eyelids, a soft knock came at my door. I knew exactly who it was.

“Emily?” I asked, opening it. My heart was practically coming out of my chest.

She stood there, teeth chattering a bundled-up, adorable mess in her buttoned-up pajamas. “I can’t take the cold anymore,” she stammered, her voice small. Fuck, she’s cute. “Can I stay with you?” Please, please, please, I thought, even though I also knew this was a bad idea.

I glanced quickly down the empty hallway before stepping aside. I knew this was going to be a disaster. “Come in.” I couldn't help the little smile that had started forming on my lips.

Emily didn’t wait for an invitation to do anything else. She went straight to my bed and burrowed under my comforter, shivering so hard the mattress shook beneath her. I shut the door, leaning against it for a moment, staring at the now-occupied bed, and sure, my mind was racing. Where am I supposed to sleep now? This is a terrible idea, I thought, but I couldn't stop the smile that had now formed on my lips.

“Stop standing there and get in,” Emily called from beneath the blanket, her voice muffled but insistent. She peeked out, her face rosy from the chill. She was cute as hell. “You’re warm. I need you.” That did things to me.

I hesitated. Part of me wanted to jump in, the other part knew this was awkward as shit. Finally, I caved, climbing in beside her, closer to the cold bulkhead. My bed was warm, sure, but then her ice-cold limbs hit me. Jesus Christ she was cold. Oh, wait, these were actually good for my bruises, maybe this is not a bad idea after all. A sharp pain shot up my side as Emily shifted, pressing against my sore ribs from the fight earlier. I winced, but didn't say anything. Didn't want to ruin the moment, you know?

"Holy shit Emily, are your feet made of actual frost?" I yelped, jerking back as her toes, like little icicles, grazed my legs.

She giggled, all sleepy and cute, curling closer. "Come on, don't be a baby. I'm thawing out." As she moved, her knee bumped my chest, right where it was bruised. I bit back a groan. Man, that hurt, but her cold skin actually felt kinda good on the throbbing blue and purple mess.

“Thawing out? You’re trying to freeze me solid!” I grumbled, pulling the blanket tighter around us, she was playing with me. “How are you even alive with feet that cold? You’re like an actual ice elemental.” I was probably being dramatic, but they really were freezing.

Emily wiggled her toes against my calves. "You're exaggerating. It's not that bad." She had to know she was driving me nuts, and yeah, I was starting to think she liked it. Her arm brushed my chest, sending a jolt of pain through me. I sucked in a breath.

"It is exactly that bad," I retorted, but my voice softened as her arms wrapped around my waist. She felt so good, even if she was a damn popsicle. Her head rested on my chest, breath warm against my skin, a total contrast to her freezing hands and feet. My heart was beating so hard, I swear it was trying to escape. Another wave of pain, this time from my shoulder, as she snuggled closer.

"Goodnight, Captain Complaints," she murmured, planting a quick kiss on my cheek. This was getting out of control, fast. I winced as she pressed against my side again.

“Goodnight, Frost Queen,” I replied dryly, but my hand found her hair, stroking it slow. Despite her being a walking ice cube, she was warm in a way that made my heart do stupid things. I was totally gone.

As Emily drifted off, breathing all soft and steady, I stared at the ceiling, my mind racing. She was going to give me hypothermia, but damn if it wasn't worth it. Probably pathetic, right? But I couldn't help it. She had me wrapped around her finger, body pressed against me, and I was okay with that, even if every movement was a painful reminder of that fight. I'm such an idiot. A happy, bruised idiot.

That poor idiot, Ryan, was probably grimacing in pain in his room alone, nursing that shiner I gave him and that nice chest of his, I had gotten a couple of good hits in there. We really went at it today, huh? Good times, good times. I didn't regret it, not really. It was fun, in a painful, we're-all-idiots kind of way. I smiled to myself, picturing Ryan's stupid face. He'd probably give me shit for it tomorrow, but he'd be smiling. We're all just a bunch of idiots, in our own ways, but we have each other's backs. And right now, I have Emily's. Even if she's a beautiful, freezing, pain-inducing, wonderful problem. My problem, at least for tonight.

***

The next morning, I woke to find Emily curled up against me, her arm draped across my chest. The warmth of her breath tickled my neck, and as my eyes adjusted to the dim cabin light, I froze. Her shirt had come unbuttoned at some point during the night, leaving her bare, glorious breasts exposed in the soft glow. Of course, I thought. Just my luck. I swallowed hard, trying to look away and focusing on the ceiling, trying to will my thoughts into something less incriminating, but that was a losing battle.

But come on, I had to look. She was beautiful, all peaceful and comfy, hair a mess on my pillow. The moment felt… I don't know, fragile? Like if I moved, it would shatter. Part of me wanted to just stay there forever, soaking it in. The other part was like, Dude, get the hell out of here. But for now? It was pretty damn nice.

I tried to slide out of bed, ninja-style, but a jolt of pain shot through my ribs as I moved. Damn, still sore. Emily stirred, her arm tightening around me for a second, right on the most tender spot on my chest. I bit back a hiss. Then her eyes fluttered open. She yawned, stretching like a cat, and oh my god, the movement was pure torture, especially when her knee bumped my crotch. I couldn't stop staring, even though every slight shift of my body reminded me of the fight. She was a goddess, a beautiful, distracting goddess who was currently using my bruised body as a pillow.

"Good morning," she mumbled, voice all husky and sleep-ridden. Too beautiful. Way too beautiful. Those green eyes, that little nose... fuck.

"Good morning," I replied, sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to act like my heart wasn't about to explode. I risked a glance back, and yeah, my eyes betrayed me. Straight to the goods.

Emily sat up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist, chin on my shoulder. Her bare chest pressed against my back, warmth spreading through my thin shirt. Holy hell. "Last night was great," she whispered, playful as shit.

“It really was,” I agreed, though my grin quickly turned into a grimace of restraint. I cleared my throat and added, “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us today, mapping the system, deploying the first satellite…” My words trailed off as Emily shifted, clearly in no rush to move. I was enjoying this way too much.

With a sigh, she reached for her shirt, buttoning it up slowly. "So, what happened?" she asked, all casual but with that glint in her eye.

“You fell asleep,” I replied with a smirk. “I didn’t want to wake you. You looked… happy.” She did.

“Oh.” Emily paused, her expression shifting briefly before a teasing smile replaced it. “Well, at least your bed is warm. And so are you.” She reached out suddenly, her fingers darting toward the very visible bulge in my pajama pants. She wasn’t making this easy.

“Emily!” I yelped, leaping off the bed like a startled cat, clutching my waistband as she laughed hysterically. I was a mess, but I was also enjoying this.

“What’s the matter, Captain ?” she teased, still sitting cross-legged on the bed, her shirt now mostly buttoned, her breasts put away. “Scared of a little attention?”

“From you? Absolutely,” I shot back, my face flushed as I tried to maintain some shred of dignity. I was a goner, but I wasn’t fighting it. I leaned down, planting a quick kiss on her lips, catching her by surprise, before bolting toward the shower. “Gotta stay professional, right?” I called over my shoulder, still laughing. I really was, I needed to cool off.

Emily flopped back against the bed, a satisfied grin on her face as she watched me go. “You’re so dramatic,” she muttered to herself. She was right and oh so sexy. One day Em, one day.

As the water ran in the shower, I leaned against the wall, grimacing as the hot spray hit my tender chest. I ran my hands over my face, wincing as my fingers brushed a particularly sore spot on my ribs and letting out a long, exasperated sigh. This is fine, I told myself. I just slept with Emily. We didn't do anything, but hey, small wins, right? Totally fine. Just another day with her, driving me completely insane, while I'm also aching like I went a few rounds with a heavyweight champ. And I was actually okay with that. I mean, who wouldn't be? She's Emily, for crying out loud, and she chose to be with me, even if it was just to cuddle, drive me up the wall, and inadvertently use me as a human heating pad for her ice-cold feet.

***

I waited for Emily to finish dressing in her room, took her sweet time, too. I might've spent a little too long staring. We went down a deck to the galley for breakfast, fashionably late, of course. Breakfast was bacon and eggs. We were running low on fresh stuff, 44 days in. Dry goods, frozen crap, and freeze-dried mystery meals were the norm now. Everyone was hoping for a habitable planet with edible plants and animals, but that was a long shot. Goldilocks zone and a hint of an atmosphere was the best we could hope for, and even that felt like a pipe dream.

I sat by Ryan and Danny, who were already arguing about the deployment of the satellites, while Emily sat by Zoe, who, yeah, I could tell she was already dying to catch up, and probably ask Emily about last night.

I leaned back in my chair at the breakfast table, half-listening to Ryan animatedly explaining some technical detail to Danny about reactor efficiencies. My coffee mug was warm in my hands, but my mind was only half in the conversation. Across the room, the murmur of hushed voices caught my attention. Emily and Zoe, huddled close, their heads bent together, whispering with occasional bursts of giggles. I had a bad feeling about this.

"So," Zoe whispered, loud enough for me to hear, "How did it go?" Here it comes.

"How did what go?" Emily asked, playing dumb. She was good at that.

Zoe leaned closer, her voice dropping lower, but I caught just enough. “Didn’t you spend the night at Luca’s? I want all the juicy details.” Shit, they were talking about me.

I froze, almost choking on my coffee. They're talking about me? I tried to focus on Ryan, who was now gesturing wildly, a bruise on his cheekbone, a souvenir from our little sparring match yesterday. Looked good on him. But my Perception attribute was a bitch, and I was locked onto the girls conversation. Too convenient. I winced as I shifted, my ribs protesting. That was thanks to Ryan's surprisingly hard left hook. I'd hit him as hard as I could yesterday and it was like punching concrete.

"It was nice," Emily said softly, a smile in her voice. My heart did a stupid flip-flop thing.

"Just nice?" Zoe pressed, probably with those damn eyebrow waggles. They were having way too much fun.

Emily’s response was quieter now, but I caught the tail end: “...fall asleep... didn’t want to get too carried away.” That was a relief, and also, a little disappointing, not going to lie.

I swallowed, mind racing. Too carried away? I shifted again, trying to act like I wasn't eavesdropping. My focus on Ryan and Danny was gone. I was feeling it, the heat in my cheeks. A dull ache pulsed in my shoulder, another gift from Ryan. He packed a mean punch for an engineer.

“Oh, what I would have done to him...” Zoe said dramatically, her voice teasing, earning a muffled laugh from Emily. “You two make such a cute couple.” She knew I was listening, I was sure of it, we shared some skills and stats, I bet her Situational Awareness was higher than mine.

My grip tightened on my mug, my ears burning and I wanted to crawl under the table. I resisted the urge to turn and look. A cute couple? Is that what she thinks? I had to get a grip, we had a lot of work to do.

"Luca? You with us?" Ryan's voice startled me. He was looking at me funny, probably noticed the shiner I'd given him was throbbing.

"Huh?" I blinked, forcing a smile. "Yeah, sorry. Just... zoned out." Great, now everyone knew I was a mess. I winced, feeling the dull ache in my chest. He slaps like a bitch.

“More like for a whole minute,” Danny joked, shaking his head. He wasn't wrong.

Across the room, Emily's voice rose. "No wonder I've been freezing at night! Tell him to fix it right away." What the hell was she talking about?

"Fix what?" I muttered, pretending to be focused on my companions. What were they scheming? I was starting to feel a little scared.

I shifted again, uncomfortable, my grip tightening on my coffee. The girls' voices, soft and conspiratorial, kept drawing my attention. I caught Zoe's voice, defensive. This was never going to stop.

"I didn't think he'd actually do it," she said, sheepish. Do what?

“Do what?” I muttered to myself. Across the table, Ryan’s head turned toward the girls, and my stomach sank. Oh no. Don’t walk over there, Ryan. Don’t—

Ryan stood up, walking toward Emily and Zoe, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice low but clear. "I thought it was just a harmless prank." What the hell is this about now? Was everyone in on this except for me?

I barely resisted a groan. I glanced at Danny, who was scribbling on a napkin, muttering about drone calibrations. How could he be so calm?

Emily's glare softened. "It's okay," she said, gentle but firm. "Just please fix it. I can't sleep in a cold room every night." I was going to have a talk with him later.

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, alright. I'll do it after duties tonight." He turned and strode toward the engineering lab, sandy-blonde hair catching the light. I was sure they had been talking about him.

My attention snapped to Emily and Zoe, who exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

"That's another hottie," Emily said with a sigh, her eyes lingering on Ryan. "When did these boys grow up? They were just goofballs we had to shake off in high school, and somehow, they turned into hunks overnight."

I nearly choked on my coffee. Hotties? Hunks? What the actual-

Zoe shrugged. "Okay, so sabotage didn't work," she admitted. "What's our next plan of action?" Sabotage?

My ears perked up, but I kept my eyes on Danny, trying to look busy. Next plan? What plan? This was going too far.

"I don't know...maybe we should just let things happen naturally?" Emily suggested.

"But we only have a limited amount of time on this mission," Zoe argued. "We can't waste it waiting for something to happen between us and the boys. Honestly, I'd be glad for any of them." My pulse quickened. Was everyone in on this? They were trying to get laid. I couldn't say I hated that.

My brain short-circuited. Any of them? My coffee mug hit the table with a thud. I stared blankly at my reflection. Do they just... talk about us like this? This was getting way too interesting.

Danny finally noticed my dazed expression. "You okay?" he asked, tapping his pen. "You've been zoning out a lot today." I really hadn't been doing a great job at pretending I had everything together.

"I'm fine," I said automatically, lifting my mug to cover my face. I tried to drown out the girls, but their voices still carried. My cheeks burned. How much scheming had they been up to, and how long before it involved me again? I knew I wanted to be a part of it, whatever "it" was. Even if it meant dealing with a sore body and a bruised ego, courtesy of Ryan.