Playmate:

Cress crouched behind a cargo bin, her little heart thumping wildly in her chest.

She was a spy, infiltrating an enemy submarine. She had nothing but the clothes on her back and the small pistol gripped in her right hand. And, of course, the orders from HQ: Disable the ship's weapons before it reaches the coast.

Easy enough. She'd been on missions far more dangerous. The thing was, she had to be extra careful to avoid her estranged lover, Carswell Thorne. If those two came face to face, disaster would surely ensue.

So, it was with caution that she approached central command. She ducked behind one bin, leaped over another, and was in the process of scaling the giant wooden crate marked 'This Side Up' when a voice cut through her fun.

"Why are you walking like that?"

Cress spun and came face to shoulder with Iko. If her gaze shifted several more inches to the right, she knew she would see ridges where the android's chest was still flayed open. But Iko was sensitive, so Cress didn't look. Instead, she blushed and said, "I was playing a game."

Iko's eyes lit up. "A game?"

"Yes."

"Ooh, I've never played a game before!" Iko said, picking a few braids off of her shoulder, and holding them for a second before letting them drop. "What kind of game are you playing?"

Cress, encouraged by the other girl's smile, timidly explained. "It's make-believe. I'm a spy, sent by my country to neutralize the threat posed by this... um, submarine. The Rampion is a submarine."

Iko mulled this over. "Cress, might I join your simulation?"

This thought struck Cress. She'd never had a playmate before, never even told anyone about these fantasies. Sometimes the others were in them, but Cress had never asked them to join (even though she'd desperately wanted to). Especially not Iko.

Cress had warmed to the android, but she couldn't forget those many, many, persistent kisses Iko had bestowed upon Thorne in the medbay. Or, the image of that body on Thorne's lap in a hotel lobby. It hadn't been Iko then, but somehow that didn't matter to her heart.

"Like, as your accomplice?" Iko added, and Cress realized she'd been silent for too long.

But, the longer she thought about them, the quicker all those bitter, jealous feelings evaporated. This was a grand, new adventure. She'd been waiting for a friend like this for years.

"Yes!" Cress laughed out loud. "Exactly like that!"

"Oh, yay!" Iko moved to stand beside Cress. "So we're just sneaking?"

"Right now," Cress lowered her voice. "The biggest challenge lies in getting past Thorne. He especially can't know I'm here."

"Why?" Iko asked.

Cress blushed. "We have a volatile romantic history." Was all she said before pressing back against the cargo. "We need to get going."

"Right." Iko nodded, miming Cress and giving herself a handgun.

Ah, well, that was fun. Hopefully it wasn't too OOC or grammatically incorrect (didn't spend too much time proofreading this one).

I hope you liked it, and please review!