Honey’s night passed in a blur.

One moment the staff commons cabin was full of laughter and music. And the next everyone seemed to be leaving. Only the vague tired feeling in her legs hinted that she had danced the entire night away.

Kitt took her hand and they followed the others down the path, back toward their own cabins.

“Honey,” Addy panted, jogging back to her with Nikki in tow, “we’re going to the diner out in the village. You want to come?”

“No, thanks,” Honey replied. “I’ve got to get some sleep.”

“Suit yourself,” Addy shrugged. “Kitt, your brothers are coming, you want in?”

“No, thank you,” Kitt said politely.

“Don’t stay back on my account,” Honey protested.

“I have seen much today,” Kitt replied. “I have much to think about.”

The other two women dashed off again.

Kitt squeezed Honey’s hand.

“I will walk you to your lodging,” he said.

“Thank you,” she replied.

They turned off toward the senior ladies staff cabin as the others continued down the main path.

Suddenly Honey felt the weight of being alone with Kitt, really alone with him.

The night air was soft and still. Below them she could still hear the quiet laughter of the rest of their party, fading away.

Kitt’s big presence felt larger than ever before.

The silence between them only heightened her other senses. She swore she could feel his heart beat through his hand, smell the fresh scent of the shampoo in his hair.

At last they reached her cabin.

“May I accompany you inside?” His voice broke the silence.

She nodded and let them in.

The cabin was usually full of the sounds of the three women laughing and sharing the details of their days. It seemed strange, like a new place tonight, empty and dark, yet somehow filled with possibility.

“Don’t turn it on,” Kitt whispered.

Honey was confused at first, but she realized her hand was on the light switch. She pulled it away.

“Look,” he said.

Below the cabin, the lake spread out, sparkling under the moon, with the island reflected in its surface.

“Is this similar to your home?” Honey tried to imagine what it would be like to visit a distant planet, to make it her home forever.

He shook his head.

“Aerie is different,” he said. “The terrain is dry and rocky. And the stars are closer.”

“Do you miss it?”

“I did at first,” he said. “It was a peaceful life. There was a natural order of things.”

“And now?”

“I’m not sure I want there to be a natural order,” he replied. “I’m beginning to see the beauty in chaos.”

Honey laughed.

“That wasn’t supposed to be funny,” he said.

“Consider it another serving of chaos, then,” she said. “I like you, Kitt.”

“I like you too, Honey,” he said. “You are easy to talk to.”

“Thank you,” she replied, and she was glad the lights were off because she could feel herself blushing. It was simple praise but Honey rarely got compliments that weren’t about her looks, or her dancing.

“Will you dance with me?” he asked.

“Here?”

“Yes.” She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke. “Here.”

“But… there’s no music,” she protested.

“We don’t need it,” he said.

Suddenly, she was in his arms again.

And he was right - they didn’t need the music, his body automatically swayed to the motion of hers, as if they were dancing to the rhythm of the Earth spinning or the planets aligning.

“Honey,” he whispered, “I will dance with you. Here and anywhere else you wish. I don’t care about my new job. I belong to you and to this new world.”

She smiled. He was so sweet. And so new to this place.

It was easy to make a big declaration to the first person you ever danced with, and another thing to stake your life on it.

Though Kitt was clearly all man, Honey would have to remember that he was more like an adolescent in terms of his world view.

“You don’t have to do that,” she whispered back to him. “Just dance with me now.”

He swung her in closer and lowered her nearly to the floor, then stretched her back upward slowly, so that their faces were an inch apart.

Is he going to kiss me?

She nearly swooned with the anticipation, but he spun her around instead and pulled her arms high over her head, trailing his fingers down her rib cage to grasp her hips and swing her even closer.

This time she closed the gap herself, going up on her tiptoes to brush his lips with hers.

His hands tightened on her hips and he caught her mouth with his to kiss her a second time, slowly, carefully.

Then they were moving again, swaying softly as Honey lost herself in the embrace of her otherworldly lover.