"What did you tell them?" Joe glared down at Marvelous, who was pretending (badly) to be asleep in his bed.
"The truth," Marvelous said without opening his eyes.
"Damn it."
"Is it really so bad for the crew to know you have feelings?"
Joe shook his head slowly, knowing Marvelous would sense it even through closed eyes.
"Is it really so bad for the crew to know you have feelings for me?"
He stood, starting to pace. When he turned, Marvelous was looking at him, giving him that look, the one Joe could never resist. He came back to the bed, crossing his arms to keep from touching Marvelous. "It's bad for a captain and a member of the crew-"
"To be having sex. Fucking. Getting naked together on a regular basis. Doing-"
"Yes!" The shout startled both of them and Joe whirled, pacing away again to give himself a moment. "Favoritism is a danger to everyone."
"You thought they didn't already know you were my favorite?" Marvelous was laughing, damn him.
Joe leaned against the bulkhead, forehead on his arms. "I don't know."
"They also knew that I would die for any of them, just as I was ready to die for you." Marvelous had stopped laughing.
Joe couldn't look, couldn't move, couldn't turn. "I don't want anyone to die for me." Anyone else, he thought.
"I'm not really planning on it, you know."
Joe sighed, pushing himself away from the wall. "You nearly managed it. If I hadn't-"
"But you did. You came." Marvelous struggled to sit up.
"Stop." Joe stepped back to the bed and pushed him down. "You need to rest."
"I'll rest since you're here."
"I'll always be here."
"I know." Marvelous smiled up at him. "That's what I told them."
-end-