She couldn't sleep, not now, when the emptiness of space loomed all around them, just another reminder of how they were drifting aimlessly.
Giving up on sleep, Cress slipped out of her bed and softly padded through the warm halls (Iko must have been having a good dream) of the Rampion, thoroughly exploring the spaceship for the first time.
Stumbling into the dark cockpit, she saw Thorne sitting in the pilot's chair. She walked up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Cress? Is that you?"
She nodded before realizing he couldn't see it. "It's me, Captain."
He visibly relaxed. "I take it you couldn't sleep either?" She shook her head.
Thorne patted the seat next to him. "Come on, you can be my copilot."
She sat down. "A blind man's copilot. That sounds safe," she quipped, brimming with happiness at being asked to be so close to him. He chuckled, a low sound that rumbled through his chest. Wrapping his arm around her, he scooted his chair closer.
"You know, I think that we've gotten friendly enough," he began, "that you can call me Carswell. In private, of course. I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm playing favorites." He winked into the air.
She blushed. "Are you? Playing favorites, I mean."
He looked in her general direction. "Of course I am." She smiled to herself.
"So, what so we do next?" He pondered over the question.
"I honestly have no idea. Cinder's making all the calls here. So I'd say we just sit back, relax, and enjoy it while we can." To illustrate his point, he leaned back in his chair. As it reclined with him, Cress grabbed his feet to stop him from tipping over. He laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls.
Snuggling into his chest, she decided his advice, but it wasn't easy to relax when the idea of being so close to him sent electricity into all parts of her anatomy.
She had a feeling this wouldn't be another sleepless night.