She'd fallen asleep at her computer again. Light from the screen radiated onto Rebecca's hair, tinting it with a soft blue glow. Gently, Shiki nudged her hand away from the control pad. At least she'd managed to land to the side of the keyboard this time. Rebecca had sulked for a week after hitting the delete key during one of her spontaneous naps. Three days of footage lost to the void. He sighed. She was always pushing herself so hard.
Muffled noises trembled on her lips. Sighing, Shiki stroked her head down to her back until she quieted. Rebecca might as well have been more cat than human with the way petting soothed her. Hopefully it was a good dream this time. The nightmares left her a shell of herself the next morning. Shiki brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. The universe was cruel to those with smiles as bright as starlight. Rebecca's past had been riddled with wounds, and sometimes, he wondered just how deep her scars reached.
Pulling a spare chair over to the monitor, Shiki settled down next to her. He couldn't fight the demons lurking in her dreams, but he could at least make her more comfortable. This wasn't the first time Rebecca had fallen asleep at her desk, and he knew all too well the complaining that would follow if she stayed hunched over all night. Scooping her up, Shiki laid her head against his shoulder. It had to be better for her this way. A blinking message at the edge of the screen caught his attention. She must've been working on a new video. The file flashed in a panicked frenzy, begging to be saved. Shiki chuckled and put the warning out of its misery. He'd be a hero in the morning. Gratefully, the editing software refreshed and opened a glowing box, prompting him to play the video he'd rescued. A voice in his head told Shiki to wait, but his curiosity betrayed him.
Ancient Gear and The Boy Unbound by Gravity
It was him. Shiki flashed across the screen, arms glowing with the power of his ether gear. Clips of him hanging upside down, fighting, and falling through the sky melded together in a montage of gravity defying freedom. He hadn't noticed that her lens pointed his way so frequently. Aerial acrobatics faded away as Rebecca's face took center stage for her finale. She was breathtaking as she addressed the audience; stardust sparkled in her eyes.
"He's unlike any other human in all galaxies. Watch us change the cosmos; only on the Blue Cat Channel."
The video closed and released Shiki from its spell. Smiling, he looked down at the girl asleep on his shoulder. Every day Rebecca grew more amazing than the last. His first friend. His best friend.
Stirring in her sleep, Rebecca slipped from her perch his shoulder. Quick fingers caught her before she could hit the desk.
"Time for bed," Shiki whispered. He lifted her in his arms and made his way across the ship to her room. The movement roused Rebecca from her respite.
"No," she slurred, tongue heavy with fatigue. "I have to keep—"
"You don't have to do anything but rest. You can finish in the morning." He hugged her close. "Your next video is gonna be a big hit."
"Thanks, Shiki," she sighed, eyes fluttering closed. He felt her head relax against his chest, and she drifted back into the sweet clutches of slumber.
Happy was already dozing when Shiki stumbled into Rebecca's room. He laid her down on the bed next to her cat, and the two instinctively curled together. Warmth crept into his heart. They'd been together for years, side by side in times of both sadness and joy. Their arms were home. One day he'd be as close as Rebecca and Happy were, but for now, he'd respect their social habits. Pulling the covers around them, he turned out the light and left.
Shiki wandered to the side of the ship, gazing out the window. Stars flew by, burning fierce and beautiful in the dark enormity of space. None could hold a candle to the ones that danced in her eyes. The final words in Rebecca's video rang in his head. Of all the humans in all the cosmos, she was the one that was special. She'd extended her hand to a complete stranger and made him her friend. Shiki would follow Rebecca anywhere to preserve that smile. To every galaxy she wanted to see and all the worlds in between. To all the stars in her eyes.