“No,” Kenji grumbled.
After they’d filled their plates, they sat at the small dining table facing one another. Kenji looked around the galley and scowled. “There are no windows in here. I feel like I’m in a tin can.”
Qylar eyed Kenji and his pout for a moment before standing. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“Just give me a minute,” Qylar said as he raced to the pilot’s deck.
As soon as he arrived, he checked their coordinates and then checked their distance from the Diantiani Nebulea. A smile came to his lips. They could be there in a matter of ten minutes, and it would only cost them less than an hour of travel time. He changed course before grabbing a few things from his quarters, dropping them off, and returning to the galley. “Grab your plate and follow me.”
“What are we doing?”
“My mate’s not eating his Thanksgiving dinner in a tin can,” Qylar said.
“This whole place is a tin can,” Kenji groused.
“Come on,” Qylar said, picking up both their utensils, his plate, and his drink. “You won’t be sorry.”
Once they had most of everything, he led them to the pilot’s deck. He walked past the consoles and showed off the blanket and two pillows on the floor in front of the crystalline window. “How about a Thanksgiving picnic?”
Kenji sighed. “Oh, fun. We get to look out at empty space.”
“Well, itisa window.”
“I guess,”Kenji said before sitting down.
Qylar laid his stuff down and then made one more trip to the galley for the rolls and pie. As soon as he returned, he sensed a shift in speed. They were getting closer, and the cruiser was slowing down. It was a matter of minutes before the proverbial fireworks went off.
“Should we say what we’re thankful for before we eat?” Qylar asked.
Kenji rolled his eyes.
“This year, I’m thankful… I met you,” Qylar murmured. “And that we can be here together.”
Kenji’s pout faded, a hint of a smile forming. “I’m thankful for meeting you as well.”
Qylar lifted his cup and pinged it against the side of Kenji’s. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Happy Thanksgiv—oh my god.”
Qylar sat back smiling, watching as the colors of the nebulae cluster reflected off Kenji’s handsome face. His eyes were wide, and his jaw dropped as he stared out the window. He lowered his plate and rose, slowly crossing to press his palms to the crystalline. Qylar followed him, eager to see all of Kenji’s reaction.
“It’s…beautiful,”Kenji said, his voice barely over a whisper.
“The Diantiani Nebulea Cluster. One of the most stunning spots I’ve come across in all of my travels.”
“It just goes on forever.”
“Each one has a different core color because the gas composition of each star is different. It almost looks like a massive, swirling rainbow from certain angles. I knew it might be close enough for a detour, and we lucked out there. We’ll lose about an hour off our arrival time, but I figured this would make you smile,” Qylar said.
Kenji turned to him. “Thank you.”
“Want to finish our dinner before it gets too cold?”
“Are we staying here while we eat?”
Qylar nodded. “My mate wanted a view with his Thanksgiving meal so I gave him something to look at.”
