A surprised chuckle greeted that statement as he took her elbow and guided her out of the elevator and down the hallway towards her quarters.
“I like you. Trust me on that, even if you don’t believe me. Now, can you unlock the door?”
Realizing they were now standing outside her room, she swiped her wrist over the sensor; the door sliding open to admit them both. He let her go and her legs buckled underneath her.
“Oh!” She grasped at his arms to stay upright.
“Are you OK? Are you going to pass out?”
“No, I’m fine. I’m just tired.”
“When did you last sleep?”
Laila looked up at him, her eyelids fluttering with fatigue. She was aware of his arms supporting her, but she could barely keep her eyes open. He felt so good. She snuggled into his chest and closed her eyes. Yes, this was exactly what she needed. Now, to just rest a little while.
“Laila?” He tilted her chin gently to look into her face. “Whendid you last sleep?”
She mumbled something, and he swore under his breath in Taurean.
“No need to get angry,Commander,” she mumbled, eyes closed, swaying on her feet. She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept for longer than an hour or two. If only she could lie down.
She summoned the energy to push away from him and stumbled towards the bed; then she felt herself falling. Before she hit the floor, he swung her into his arms, cursing softly under his breath. He crossed the room quickly to lay her on the bed, sitting down next to her. He began unlacing her boots.
She was being undressed.
By Zac.
Suddenly, she was awake. “Hey, I can do that!” She tried to jerk her foot out of his hand as he pulled off her sock, his fingers brushing against the sole of her foot. He paused, holding her foot in his large hand, and stared at her toes.
“What is that?” He asked, looking totally confused as he tapped her toenail with his finger. She followed his gaze and grinned.
“Haven’t you ever seen nail polish?”
“No,” he said in wonder, tracing a path over the top of her toes, fascinated with her toenails, which were, this week, neon pink. “Why do you do this?”
“Um, because I like it?” She replied, stifling a yawn.
As a woman in the military, Laila spent much of her life in uniform and combat boots. She would choose jeans over a dress, but there was something about having painted toenails that she liked. It grounded her, linking her to carefree summers spent with her sister. She just didn’t feel like herself without painted toenails.
“But you wear boots all the time. Nobody can see it.”
“That’s not the point. I do it because I like it, it makes me feel good.”
He released her foot and turned to face her. “You are an... intriguing woman.”
“Thank you. I think.” She yawned again, waves of exhaustion hitting her as she settled back against the pillows and closed her eyes, vaguely aware of Zac’s deep rumble. She felt herself drift away into that space between wakefulness and sleep, and it felt amazing.
* * *
She woke to warm fingers on her shoulder, gently shaking her awake. She grumbled and tried to burrow back into sleep.
“Laila, wake up. Let the medic check you over, you’re not well,” Zac’s voice soothed her, and as his warm fingers smoothed her hair back from her face. She reached for him and he grasped her hand in his, smoothing his callused fingers back and forth over hers.
“What are you talking about? There’s nothing wrong with me,” she mumbled.
The medic and Zac shared a glance.
“You’ve been training too hard, and haven’t been looking after yourself,” Zac said. “You need to rest and eat more. When did you last eat?”
