(Caius)
I woke to her watching me.
She didn't look away when my eyes opened. She just lay there on her side with her head on the pillow and looked at me the way she looked at things she was thinking about, directly and without apology.
"How long have you been awake?" I asked.
"A while," she said.
"Doing what?"
"Watching you sleep."
I looked at her. "And?"
"You look different when you sleep," she said. "Less like you're running something."
She smiled slightly. "I meant it as a compliment."
"I know," I said.
Vorak was content in a way that didn't ask for anything or push toward anything. Just settled.
I turned onto my side to face her.
She didn't move back. She stayed where she was and let the space between us close and I put my hand on her face and she turned into it without th
