Chapter 6 - How It Usually Goes
How It Usually Goes
A hand gently strokes tangled hair away from my face. I wriggle closer anyway, pressing into the warmth of the palm. I realise, as I do, that it’s been a long time since I’ve received physical affection. It’s nice.
I’m not ready to wake up, but my stomach rumbles so hard it cramps, and I open heavy eyes to find Vee curled up next to me. “Hey.”
I smile sleepily and pull him into my side, careful not to jostle my ribs. But, as he snuggles in, I don’t feel the flare of sharp pain I expected. It’s a dull ache instead, the kind that I can weather like it’s just another day. My body isn’t happy, but when is it ever?
A puff of Vee’s breath tickles my neck, and I squeeze him a little. “This is new.”
His voice is subdued. “You napped for so long, and I looked it up, and sometimes people who are hurt can go into comas. Did you know that?”
“Oh, baby, I’m fine. Just a little sore, that’s all. I don’t even have any broken bones, so you have nothing to fear. I just need rest.”
I should have known he was worried; he’s never snuggled with me like this. We’re close, but I haven’t been able to wrap my arms around him without a grumble since he was much younger. I plan to take full advantage of being able to squeeze him like a teddy bear.
My stomach rumbles again, and Vee snorts. “Someone’s hungry.”
“Ravenous.” I laugh into his hair. “Have you eaten? What time is it anyway?”
I nearly fall off the fucking bed when a feminine voice rings out. “It’s currently 17:17, UTC.”
Vee really laughs now, pulling away so he doesn’t hurt me. He’s all limbs, and they’re shaking with mirth. “It’s just Kit, Mum.”
With a hand pressed to my sore chest, I exhale slowly. “Give me a break, she hasn’t spoken to me before now.”
“She must have been deactivated in your cabin. Right, Kit?”
“Correct, Harvey.”
“Vee,” we both say at the same time. The only person who calls him Harvey is Dominik.
“Correct, Vee.” Kit amends. “Would you like me to have some food sent to the cabin, Ms Rose?”
I scrunch up my nose. “Marlowe, please. And, no, thank you. I need to move around. Is there somewhere communal we can eat?”
But it’s Vee who answers. “The crew have a galley with a huge table that they all sit around and eat at. It’s so fun.”
I gape. “How do you know that?”
“I’ve been eating with them.”
Until a few hours ago, I hadn’t even seen anyone else apart from Tanisira, yet Vee had apparently been having meals with the whole crew.
It explains why he didn’t need an introduction to Khrys in the med bay.
He looks really happy about this, a goofy little grin on his face.
Sometimes I can hardly believe that this perfect boy came from me.
His smile breaks my heart every single time.
“Think they’ll mind if I join?”
Vee can barely wait for me to shower and get changed.
I peel myself out of the bandages and marvel at the accelerated healing I’ve already undergone.
I’m still bruised to hell, though. My skin itches, feels too tight for my bones, but cold water helps a little.
My aches and pains whine at me but walking them out is necessary.
I doubt the salve Khrys used is widely available, but if it is, I think I’d happily sell those organs after all.
Once I’m presentable, Vee leads me to the crew quarters, navigating his way around the Midas like he’s been here far longer than two days.
I hear the crew before I see them. The door slides open as we approach, and the sounds of several people cause my stomach to clench. I’m nervous again, even though Vee knows the team, and also, I’m the adult. I’m chagrined to note that I hope Tanisira’s in there.
“Vee!” A chorus of his name goes up around the room, and he grins, his whole face alight.
I can’t believe my body made that ball of sunshine.
“Hi guys.” He laughs. “This is my mum, Marlowe.”
I scan the room, skipping over several faces until I find Tanisira’s.
It’s silly—I barely know the woman—but seeing her there, standing to the side with her arms crossed, instils in me a sense of calm.
I’ve been running on adrenaline and anxiety for two days, and it’s a relief to release some of that in this moment.
We lock eyes, and Tanisira inclines her head slightly.
Vee makes the introductions.
Devyaan is a Suryavan man with beautiful, long, dark hair similar to Tanisira’s, except he keeps his braided loosely down his back.
A tray steams in his hands, giving off the most delicious aroma I’ve ever come across.
Khrys sits at the spacious table, a mug cradled in her hands and fatigue heavy in her eyes.
Beside her is Beau, whom Vee introduces using they/them pronouns, with heavy boots crossed on a chair and a book splayed in their lap.
All of them have some form of bruise, semi-healed cut or bandage on their person.
“Just in time for dinner,” Devyaan trills. His accent is thicker than the captain’s, his consonants practically honey. A hoop of the same material as Tanisira’s earrings adorns his left nostril, gleaming in the light.
“Is it okay if we join you?” I ask.
“Oh, absolutely.” Beau straightens up, feet clomping against the deck, and pushes short blonde hair out of their eyes. “Be our guest.”
Khrys rolls her eyes, but there’s amusement in them. She gives me a slow, professional once-over. “How are you feeling?”
Vee and I take seats, though he parks his bum in the chair next to Beau, leaving a space between us.
I raise an eyebrow but don’t comment. Just how much time has he spent with this crew in the mere hours he’s known them?
But he’s always been great at that, at making friends—something I used to be good at when I was younger, too.
Then again, Beau’s skin is the same colour as Vee’s, and maybe they represented familiarity on a ship full of strangers.
I lean forward and pour some water from the jug in the centre of the table, sitting next to a stack of clean cups. One of the most useful pieces of advice I’ve ever heard is that having something in your hand can make a world of difference for nerves.
“So much better, thank you,” I reply. “It doesn’t feel like enough, but really, thank you.”
Her pale skin flushes.
“Hm, you were right, Tani,” Devyaan murmurs.
That sends a spike of unease through me.
They’d been talking about us? Right about what?
Also, Tani? But when I turn to Tanisira, she’s shaking her head, smiling faintly in a way that suggests he’s making a bigger deal of it than is warranted.
Maybe she can sense the tension ratcheting in my body, or maybe she had planned to say it anyway, but I appreciate it immensely when she goes on to explain.
“The crew have made several trips with Dominik and his entourage.” Her lip twitches. “They’ve met some characters.”
“I’ve got questions.” Beau grins. “What on Telluria made you copulate with that man?”
I barely avoid spitting out my mouthful of water, but I do end up choking on it. Beau laughs, though it’s not unkind, even as Khrys gives them the side eye.
“Beau,” Tanisira chides.
“We were all thinking it.” Beau shrugs gently, flipping their book onto the table and caging it in with their elbows. The cover of the book is creased and suggestive of historical fiction. Tendrils peek out of Beau’s sleeves and collar, black tattoos that look well-lived-in.
Their question is one I’ve heard so many times over the past decade that my reply is fairly practised by now. “I was young, and he was charming. Isn’t that how it usually goes?”
Beau quirks an eyebrow so pale that it’s barely visible, making the green of their eyes that much brighter. “I’m not so sure that even money could convince me to tolerate Dominik Gryphon.”
Normally, I would agree. But Vee sits nearby, without his head buried in a console for once, and the one kindness I extend to Dominik is that I don’t trash him to his son’s face.
I’m surprised the crew would talk about this so openly, on Dominik’s ship with their boss in the room.
Still, Khrys elbows Beau in the side and I get the sense that she’d rather they weren’t discussing this right now.
“We have a child, and that’s enough to smooth any differences between us,” I say.
Vee chews on his lip, glancing curiously around the table. It’s hard to wait for him to tell me how he feels, rather than leap in to protect him from the moment. Beau looks down at Vee and realises that they’ve erred, expression morphing from amused into apologetic.
“I’m sorry—”
“We don’t see each other much anymore, but I’ve got some great stories from when we were both young and silly.” I force a laugh.
Vee’s head swings around. “You’ve never told me those!”
I recognise this curl to his mouth, the playful outrage. He bounces back quickly, my kid. Still, I make a note to check in with him later when we have privacy.
“I hope you don’t have any allergies, Marlowe,” Devyaan says, breaking the tension.
“None.”
The room erupts into noise as dinnerware is sourced, and food is dished up.
Drinks are poured; cutlery is shared. Tanisira slides into the chair next to me, folding her long body under the table.
She showered and changed at some point, if the smell of soap that wafts my way is any indication.
Beneath the scent of roasted meat in the air, the lavender and vanilla is subtle but lovely.
“I’m sorry about Beau,” she says quietly.
I look up at her, and I can see how earnest she is. “I appreciate that. I try to keep my opinions of Dominik to myself, otherwise I’d be badmouthing him a lot. I don’t want to shape Vee’s opinion of him—he should be able to make up his own mind about his father.”
Her amber gaze roves over my face. “It must be hard to balance that. As heavy-handed as my crew is, they aren’t wrong when they say it can be difficult dealing with Dominik. But Vee is a good kid, and maybe Dominik is different around him.”