Soon after the kiss that made him fill with desire and caused time itself to stop, a second chirp sounded out. He pulled away reluctantly. "It's time."

He didn't want to go back to the ship. He wanted to head off with her, out past the horizon, find a little planet of their own to settle down on. Simultaneously, he wanted to be back on the Xeo, training in the gym with her, watching her body move as he put her through the Vargys forms. Heck, maybe he'd even try cooking for her. …Or, more accurately, bribing Molly for some help in that department.

‘Course they had to dock anyway. Had to get Saetyria settled. Had to get back to the real world and the mission. Time to get his mind back on the other war, the one against an intractable plague that they fought, one mining site at a time.

If what Saetyria had said was correct – if the plague that had killed so many Vargys was really the Suhlik this whole time - he wondered how that changed things for the crew and for all the Vargys. Would it make things easier to solve or harder? Would the Vargys council finally tell the Mahdfel what had happened to their planet, or would it still be kept secret?

"I'll get Saetyria," Vi said softly. She pulled away and stood up, moving to the cabin.

She returned in a few minutes with Saetyria.

"Welcome, Sister," he said to her as gently as he could.

She looked around. "I haven't been very social, have I? The bed is so comfortable," she said reluctantly, stifling a yawn with her hand.

“That bed’s the worst. We have a spot for you on the Xeo, actually.” Haze tried to say it like it was nothing. “A real room.”

This was no big deal, he said to himself. Lots of men have a woman in their beds. But he glanced over at Vi as she sat down in the seat next to him. His tattoos flashed and betrayed him again. He wasn't quite sure how a guy like him, kept a girl like that, interested.

He'd never met anyone like Vi before. Without being able to stop himself, he reached over to give her hand a squeeze, trying to reassure himself that she was really actually interested in bunking with him. Her answering smile and the way she placed her other hand on top of his, made a victorious little surge go through him.

With one hand, he awkwardly completed the docking procedures and comm’d over. “Captain, all’s accounted for. Docking procedure completed.”

“We are pleased to have you back.”

The unloading process took longer than normal. First, Molly rushed on board and gave Vi a relieved hug.

"Vi, I was SO worried about you. Thank stars, Haze got you both out. You okay?" She chattered away at a mile-a-minute rate. "You guys hungry? I have so much food ready. I've been nervously cooking and going through our stores. Haze, you might have to replenish us soon. You all come right up to the dining hall. I can fix you whatever you want.”

Vi gave her a big hug back. "Molly, thank you so much. That sounds amazing." She turned to Saetyria. "Saetyria, this is Molly. She's our whatever… whatever… bounty chef… something or other… err… Good food wizard."

Vi's eyes crinkled as she smiled over to Haze.

Oz and Xain clapped Haze on the shoulder and even Fyn gave him a nod. Together, the men worked quickly to unload and get the things down to engineering, and Oz looked gleefully at his new toys.

Vi slid her drawing pad back into Haze’s pack and slipped away with Saetyria and Molly.

After an hour or so, the men seemed to have things well in hand. He made his way back to his quarters. Time for a shower, dinner. Time to see Vi again.

He swiped the door to his quarters and felt his face light up.

“Finally,” she said. Vi was sitting on his bed. “I mean, you meant it, right? This'll work, won't it?”

Haze felt an even bigger grin split his face.

He rushed over and scooped her into his arms, turning with her and kissing her face.

"Fraska, it's good to see you, mate." He leaned into her, his cock throbbing. Fraska, but she was good to look at. He squeezed her again, setting her down, reluctantly.

She laughed. “Good, ‘cause I might have taken over a couple of your drawers. I wasn't sure how you'd want to sort your stuff, now that you get three drawers instead of eight."

He glanced over and most of his clothes now took up chaotic residence on the floor.

He pulled her in for another kiss. Totally worth it.

Then his gaze caught something else new, sitting on top of the stand, next to Vi's painting of reds and greens and yellows. The sparkly junk from the merchant.

“I see you found the grayva in my pack. I meant to give it back to you.”

She nodded. “Thanks for saving Precious for me. I hoped you would find it.” She leaned against him, wrapping her arms around him, squeezing so tightly that it about burst his ribs.

“I couldn’t leave it behind.” Haze’s voice caught as he thought about how important that piece of over-priced junk had become to him. He felt overcome, for a moment, with some unnamed emotion.

To change the subject, he grabbed Vi's ass for a quick squeeze. “You were saying something about needing help with these…” He tugged at her threads, and his voice got raspy and deep. “…with these fastenings?”

"Yes.” Her voice went down in a half-pout. "I thought I'd be stuck in these forever."

His hands moved in a blur, untying and undoing her wraps, until she was naked in front of him. Her body was so beautiful he felt his breath catch.

He kissed over her curves and naked flesh. He ran his tongue over her nipples, pulling back to observe and enjoy the look of their hardened tips.

In one smooth motion, he pulled his shirt up, his pants off, and scooped her into his arms, holding her tight against his body. He swooped down for another deep kiss, his cock hard against her thigh. "Shower?" he managed with ragged breaths.

She answered with a soft, hungry moan against his lips which made his cock twitch needfully against her.

His tattoos came alive, and his whole skin felt like it was on fire.

He couldn't manage the shower, not now.

He dropped her down on the bed, one hand sliding between her legs, strumming. She moaned and quivered, and her head went back. Her breath started hitching, and the moans came louder and harder.

"Yeah," he moaned.

He went down on her mound, his lips and tongue moving fast, making her move and jump for him. She arched her back, crying out, coming for him.

He gripped her hips. It wasn't enough. She must be fully his again.

As her panting slowed, he spread her legs, sliding his cock into her as gently as he could, the need urging him to go faster.

It was more than the best thing ever. It was home.

And that was all the thinking left to him as he rocked in and out of her. He lost himself and rode the wave home, and the universe crashed around him.