“On second thought, I should patent the FTL railgun idea. I don’t see why it couldn’t work... I should probably find out how FTL drives even work before saying that, though.”

  I was playing an arcadey ship combat game on my terminal while lying in bed haphazardly, a sheet thrown over half of me. The day’s fatigue had washed over me after dinner and a shower, and now the only thing I wanted to do was lay around until sleep caught up to me.

  I hadn’t known relaxation in the last 48 hours. Even when I wasn’t working on something, the thought of my impending doom kept me on edge. Knowing that we had a decent stock of food put me at ease, which felt unnatural at this point. I kept getting this feeling of uneasiness, like a voice screaming over my shoulders, “You’re gonna die! Get to work! Stop being lazy!”

  “Sigh…” But what could I even do? Piece together a working starship, out here in the void? It’d be slow and dangerous without proper equipment. Then again, if the Falcon Empire took longer than a couple of weeks to find us, it’d become a better idea with each passing day...

  Deciding to think about it tomorrow, I aligned myself with the bed and took a moment to correctly cover myself with the sheet. Speaking of the Falcon Empire, I wonder what they’d do with Fir? Could they return her to her home planet? But I doubt she’d be able to point it out in a star map...

  It’s not like I don’t have any options. They’ll surely be worried about her origin, but as long as she can pass a medical check, I can claim her as my fiancée and they’ll have to extend my second-class citizenship rights to her, so she’ll be able to come live with me at the Tares colony...

  “Wait, wait, wait! What’s with this train of thought?” I shook my head as I tossed and turned on the bed. “We’ve known each other for no more than two days and I’m already thinking of marrying her?”

  Jeez, did I catch a crush on her? Maybe it’s just that I’ve been single for about a year now and her looks are doing a number on me... Yeah, that has to be it.

  I stopped playing with my terminal as an embarrassing thought took center in my head. But does she like me? You could justify the hug as a moment of fright and desperation, but I’d say coming to ask me for head pats after winning a fight goes to show some affection at the very least.

  I stood up absent-mindedly to check myself out in the bathroom mirror. I didn’t have the looks of a noble prince or a gene-modded rich boy but, as long as I took care of myself, I’d have women fawning over me in any second-class district! ...Too bad I’d spent the last few years cooped up in my house studying and didn’t get to test that out much.

  “Mark?” I heard Fir’s voice as she knocked on the door.

  “OH FOR THE LADY’S PANTIES” I almost climbed onto the ceiling from how much that scared me. Several deep breaths later, I exited the bathroom and went to answer.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  This is not good. The last thing I want right after a monologue like that is having to talk to her...

  The airlock opened to Fir in snug rosy pajamas, clutching a pillow between her arms. This outfit had been in her bedroom’s wardrobe from the start, but I thought she wouldn’t use it since it was a couple of sizes too small. Instead, she resolved that by leaving all the buttons open.

  The shirt had become a vest, and the pants, wrapped tightly against her killer hips, revealed a triangular glimpse of her underwear. I recognized the jet-black fabric as the hotpants she’d been wearing during cryosleep, but the partial exposure made them much more enticing.

  “Hey, Fir. What’s up?” I forgot to dumb down my words, but she still understood.

  “Fir. Sleep... scary.” Her eyes looked gloomy, ears drooping to the sides. As she squished the pillow, it pushed her chest up, as if it would spill out if not for the the elastic of her sports bra.

  “You... had a nightmare?” I tried to understand.

  “Night... mare.” She sounded out the word and then nodded. “Fir... Sleep... Mark?” She pointed at herself, then the pillow, and then at me. Her cheeks had turned rosy with heat.

  Did I just score? Just like that? Do I have some sort of latent psychic power that manifests my thoughts? Oh, come on, of course not. She had a nightmare, so surely she wants to...

  “Sure.” I nodded, holding back my heart. “Come inside.” I got out of the way and shut the airlock behind her. Fir shyly sat by my bed, and waited for a second sign of approval before tucking in on the side closest to the wall. I felt like a tiny plushie under a spotlight as I turned off the lights and laid beside her.

  These beds weren’t big enough for two people to sleep. The length was hardly enough for... a person and a half? As a result, the moment I moved inwards to make sure I didn’t fall off overnight, I bumped into Fir even though she practically had her back against the wall.

  I apologized, but that wasn’t what she wanted. Instead, Fir proceeded to half-climb onto me, nuzzling her head into my neck and wrapping one each of her arms and legs around me. The temperature of my face increased by a few degrees in an instant. I looked to her and found a pleading gaze from a set of brightly glowing golden eyes.

  Slowly, I put my arms around Fir, and she made a happy feline noise, further rubbing herself against me. I wondered if she was aware of how sexy that was, even if the intent was as silly as imitating a cat.

  This... pretty much confirms that she’s into me, right?

  I wasn’t certain —this could still be a weird cat-people thing—, and I wouldn’t carry that uncertainty with me when I risked my life in a spacesuit outside. Before I could even hesitate, I tested my theory and “accidentally” gave Fir’s butt a loving squeeze. It was firm and squishy at the same time, like a perfectly baked sponge cake.

  “Myaa!?” She yelped a cat-like noise and shook a little. I gave her an apologetic look and she pouted, but quickly forgot about it and went right back to sleepily nuzzling her head against my neck and chest.

  ... Yeah, that’s a “girlfriend” reaction alright. I guess it’s only a matter of time.

  I took a deep breath and confidently hugged my cat-eared survival partner. Before long, the feeling of her warmth, the touch of her skin, and the scent of her just-showered hair put me to sleep as if my Galactic History professor had just started to complain about his marriage mid-class for the forty-second time.