Overhead, the speakers crackled and the captain's slightly slurred voice echoed from all around them. "Siri, how do I land a space ship?"

"Looks like the captain broke into his stash of wine again," Lily said, sighing. "Do you want to handle the landing, or should I?"

"I will," said Remus, moving to the control panel. "It's your turn to go take care of him anyway."

"Right." Lily groaned. While she didn't mind, the captain was a pain in the arse to deal with in a drunken state.

She headed straight for the captain's quarters, where she knew he would be, and sure enough, he was sprawled out on the floor with a bottle of wine — well, he had one in his hand, and there were at least two or three more scattered around him.

"James," she said, and his head snapped up."Did you drink all the wine again?"

"Evans!" he shouted giddily, leaping to his feet and kicking one of the bottles away. He stumbled towards her and tripped facefirst into her shoulder.

She could smell the alcohol on his breath, but she also picked up on the scent of cologne on his shirt. An overwhelming scent. She cast her eyes around and spotted his cologne bottle, now empty. James tended to go overboard when he was drunk.

"All right, let's get you to bed," she said, turning herself until she could sling his arm around her shoulder and drag him to the bed — damn, he wasn't light.

She half-flung, half-draped him on his plush bed, and was about to leave when a warm hand seized her wrist and tugged with an ample amount of force. Letting out a short squeal of surprise, she toppled and fell on a very solid body.

"Lily," the captain murmured. "If I pour my heart out, can you keep a promise?"

"Oh, no more pouring of any kind for you," she rasped out, very much distracted by the captain's very fit body. "You're drunk, James, so just be quiet and sleep —"

"I love you," he said boldly, unexpectedly, and Lily caught her breath. Then she remembered he wasn't in the right state of mind; he probably didn't know what he was saying.

"I love you too," she said placatingly, "now go to sleep."

"No," he said firmly, his voice a little clearer. "I love you, Lily. As in love you love you — as in I want to be the Spiderman to your Gwen Stacy, the Sherlock to your Watson, the Elizabeth to your Darcy —"

Okay, he was definitely drunk — there was no way he would be Sherlock. She was Sherlock. And she was definitely Elizabeth. He would never make that mistake while sober. But that was the least of her worries.

"You love me?" Lily said faintly, gazing at his face — she had a perfect vantage point atop his chest.

"Always have," he rumbled. "You're my soulmate —"

Lily came to her senses then as the ship shook a bit, meaning Remus was landing it. "I don't what to say — can we discuss this la —"

But a loud snore interrupted her. James had fallen asleep, a content look on his face.

"— later," she whispered, stifling a giggle.

She didn't love him. Not yet. But she was halfway there.


556 words

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