If you like this, please consider checking out my original work. The link is on my profile page, since this site won't allow external links.

"Are you smoking?" Melissa swatted the cigarette out of his hand. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Depends who you ask," said Mark. "Chris says it's intracranial pressure. Dr. Shields says it's PTSD with a touch of narcissism, but I probably had that before Mars. My mom says I'm just contentious."

Melissa's face softened, and he regretted his words. He hadn't been trying to guilt trip her.

She sat down next to him. It was her week to pick the activity, so the crew had been playing Trivial Pursuit: 1970s Edition, and he'd felt a flashback coming on. He'd bummed a cigarette from Robert and gone to the porch to get some fresh- some air. He would have to remember to buy Robert a pack of Nicorette. Melissa was already starting to get her sense of smell back.

"I don't understand," she said. "Why would you spend almost two years trying to survive Mars only to come home and start smoking?"

"I couldn't smoke on Mars," said Mark. "NASA forgot to build a 7-11. I've written them a strongly worded Tweet about it. I was going to write one about the whole building-their-antennas-with-higher-tensile-strength thing, but Annie told me to stop shitposting and go to bed. Plus, I think there would have been too many characters."

"You never smoked before Mars."

"I know, but when I was up there, I really, really wanted to. Contentious. Remember?"

She shook her head. "You have got to be the dumbest genius I've ever met."

Mark did his best Captain Jack Sparrow impression. "But you have met me."

He'd rewatched Pirates of the Caribbean last week, because Mars sucked, fuck Mars, but sometimes he missed being a space pirate, and he didn't care what Martinez said. The originals were better. 2003 CGI was a joke, but they had Johnny Depp, may he rest in peace.

"So is this going to become a thing?" Melissa asked, wrinkling her nose at the still-smoldering butt. "Because I guarantee you Chris will have something to say about it."

"Not going to become a thing." Mark nudged the butt with his Nike. "That was disgusting. I don't know why people smoke."

"They do it because they're addicted, airhead."

"Airhead?"

Lewis shrugged. "I rewatched Star Man last night."

Mark knew she hadn't been trying to guilt trip him either, but, "You're going to miss it, huh? Space."

"Not as much as we would've missed you," she said simply.

"Even though I'm the dumbest genius you ever met?"

"I guess we're addicted too."