Firefly ✔️

Prepared

My watch buzzes, waking me. Buzzing on my lower stomach alerts me to the presence of another watch, another alarm, another person, with his arm draped over my waist. I read the message from Captain Gordon. Mission briefing in prep room C. 10 minutes.

10 minutes? I don't even know where that is! The message is for a large group, so maybe I can follow people if I can't find the boys. I slide out from under Thatcher, his fingers grazing my skin as I do so, securing my towel around me once more.

"Put on one of my training uniforms." Thatcher's groggy voice says. "I can't let you leave my room looking like that. People will get the wrong idea."

I look back at him, laying there with one eye open, hair going every which way, only his bare chest and shoulder visible. I want to crawl back into his bed. I want to run my fingers through his hair. I want... I push those thoughts away. Now isn't the time.

My cheeks flush, and I quickly move toward his closet, pulling out a uniform. He is a size or two larger than me, but it should be fine just to get me back to my room. "Um." I stammer. There's nowhere out of sight of the bed to change.

"My eyes are closed."

I check to confirm his shut eyelids, before dropping my towel and pulling on the sweats and Tshirt. I gather the towel from the floor before turning back to him. "Thank you, Sir, for everything. I'll try to find a way to repay you." I regret the sentence before it even finishes leaving my mouth, but I am unable to stop it.

His dark eyes wander over my face, and I can feel my blush returning. "Hon-." He stops himself. "Youngblood, you don't have to worry about it." He sits up, rubbing his head, his bronze chest in full view. "I'll tell Captain Gordon about what happened last night, okay?"

"Yes, Sir." I sneak out of the room, jogging back to mine and quickly changing into my standard uniform, the black pants and tucked green button up.

I tighten my boots and am lacing them up when my door opens. "You ready?" Takka and Stine both enter. "Woah, your hair is huge."

"Is it?" I throw the mess up into a ponytail, unwilling to even attempt to make it look presentable.

"Are you okay? You seem... weird. Did something happen last night?"

I stand. "What do you mean, weird?" I try to divert the question so I don't have to try to lie to him.

"I'm not sure. Frantic maybe. What happened?"

"Nothing. Just nervous about the mission briefing. Let's get going."

"Soul." he catches my arm as I try to pass him. "What happened last night?"

"Nothing, Takka. Please. Let's go, or we'll be late." I don't want to tell them what happened. It's stupid, getting attacked. And if they knew about my night with Thatcher, they would get suspicious.

He looks conflicted, and Stine furrows his eyebrows. "Fine." Takka says. "Let's go."

Thatcher meets us outside the briefing room as we wait for people to file inside. There are between 100 and 150 people milling around awaiting entrance. "Sargeant." Takka starts. "Something happened to Soul last night but she won't tell me what it was. I'm worried it was something bad."

Thatcher's eyes meet mine. Takka's eyes land on me as well, and I look to the floor. An incredulous look spreads across his face. "No." He looks between the two of us. "You had s-"

Thatcher clamps his hand over Takka's mouth. "Look at me Takka. We did not do what you think we did. Am I lying?"

Takka shakes his head under the vice.