As Rafian sat in the ship’s infirmary clutching a badly burnt forearm, he tried his best to ignore the screaming boy who commanded an audience despite the objections of his young mother, who all but looked defeated. That young mother was none other than Kim, the girl he used to love, who had broken his heart with that same baby.
“Rafian?” she said when she finally saw him, and it felt as if the oxygen had left the ship.
He looked up to regard her but was cut off by Vani, who had removed her earpieces in order to confront Kim. “You don’t talk to him, cruta!” she said to Kim, while gripping Rafian as if to show ownership.
“Cruta? I’m a cruta now, Vani? You don’t even know me, you spoiled little schtill.” Kim clutched her son close, eyes like hot coals searing into Vani’s as they squared off against each other. Vani made to get up, but Rafian held her down, reminding her quietly that Kim was a mother with a child.
“You don’t have to like me, Vani. You don’t matter to me. I was just concerned about Rafian,” she said.
“I got burned with a las-sword while I was jousting,” he said finally, then felt uncomfortable under her stare, which would not break no matter how much he tried to avoid it.
“I heard what you did for Aurora,” she said to him as he looked over at Vani. She sat with her hands crossed, fists balled up, and face cocked to the side, her eyes shut so tight it looked as if she were about to explode.
“You’re like the ship’s biggest hero next to the commander or something. That is so—”
She was cut off by the medic’s voice over the telecom calling her back to see the pediatrician. Vani was still coiled, ready to strike, but Rafian kissed her on one of her closed eyelids and it was enough to diffuse her fire and make her open her eyes.
She looked up at him as he placed one hand on her cheek and kissed her on the lips. Vani’s fists opened to find their way to Rafian’s back and she smiled despite herself, forgetting what it was she was upset about in the first place.
Rafian didn’t hate Kim as she assumed he did but he did hate what had happened between them. Kim was a reminder of the times when things were so unfairly negative for him. Now he stood as a marine, one of Vestalia’s hopefuls, and he could not stand to remember how much of a loser he had been to think this girl was going to be his forever.
“Get her out of your head,” Vani said as she brought him back from the abyss of his mind. She held him close until he was summoned by the doctors to have the skin on his arm replaced and the scars removed.