His instincts had guided him right back here fully against his will.
“Welcoming back!” She greeted happily.
He hated the zing of excitement that rushed through him. Both at the sight of her and the happy way she welcomed him like he was returning home at the end of the day.
“Did you having fun?” She cocked her head, and it was so adorable, he was actually distracted. For just a moment.
Then, his irritation came rushing back and he tossed his shirt away, not wanting to put it back on now that it was dusted with nutrition powder. He walked across to one of his storage bins where he kept his spare clothes to grab a new one instead.
“Can I getting into out now?”
“No,” he said, snatching a clean shirt before turning and pointing at her. “That was one time. I’m not doing it again.”
She pouted. Her bottom lip poked out as she plopped her chin on her fingers. “Aw, why? I was helping.”
He growled, frustrated, as he yanked his shirt on. “You are notsupposedto be helping. You aresupposedto be a prisoner. Act like one.”
“Oh, no-o-o,” she sighed dramatically, holding her hands out the window, wrists together like she was waiting to be manacled. “So very much scaring. Will being behave. Oh! How about I working in punishment?”
He grumbled, rubbing his temples. “That’s clearly not a punishment for you.”
“No-o-o,” she said again, drawing it out once more, but this time with a very serious and stern set to her face. “Is very punishing. Hm. Yes. Much regretting I have for breaking in here. Would only being right to making me working for my meals.”
She wasn’t wrong. Making a prisoner do simple labor wasn’t all that uncommon, especially on starships where food was rationed between stations.
But the fact that she was suggesting it really didn’t make it seem like the forced labor it was supposed to be!
“I don’t understand you,” he said, getting closer to his trap.
She pulled her hands back inside, resting them on the edge as she smiled up at him. “What’s to understanding? I like fixing. Ship is being broken. I fixing.”
“No,Ifix it. That’s my job.”
“Psh,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “With that wiring? Lucky is you that haven’t crashing already.”
“My wiring is fine!”
“Trash.”
“You little-” He leveled a finger at her, but only managed a few wordless growls of outrage as he fought between cursing at her in Standard or cursing at her in his native tongue.
She bit at him. Teeth snapping at the air like the little pest she was, attempting to reach out and bite the finger he had pointing her way.
“You know I am a killer, don’t you?” He snarled, glaring at her.
She shrugged. Thatvektingshrug again! So careless! So meaningless!
“You not killing me,” she said simply, letting one arm dangle out of the hole. “Won’t killing me either. You are good.”
Vytln reared back, insulted.
Good?Good?!No one had ever accused him of beinggoodin his life. The compliment struck him like ice water lashing across his skin.
And Haven laughed at the expression that must be on his face. Completely unafraid. Knowing he wasn’t going to hurt her.
And despite the mockery, despite the fact that she was a pest, a stowaway, a nuisance, a prisoner…
She was right.
