Page 26 of Willow and the Wraith

Sooni started asking him questions about some of the other equipment on the ship and he answered her patiently. She caught Malacar’s approving look, and she ducked her head, sure that she was blushing.

When Wraith finished, he stood abruptly, nodding once before striding out of the room. She didn’t mind - at least not too much. The simple act of him sharing a meal with them felt like a victory, like the first crack in the walls he’d built around himself. She would just have to be patient.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, she thought, or torn down in one either. It wouldn’t surprise her if he was even more restrained tomorrow, although she hoped he wouldn’t retreat as far next time.

The next morning she stifled a yawn as she entered the common area. she hadn’t slept well, partially because Sooni had been more than usually verbose in her sleep, and partially because she kept thinking about Wraith. She came to an abrupt halt as she saw he was already there, pulling a length of colorful fabric out of the box he’d placed on the table.

It was the same material Sooni had been admiring yesterday, running her small fingers over the intricate design with wide-eyed wonder. He looked over at her and she raised an eyebrow, silently questioning.

“Do you know how to sew?” he asked.

“I know the basics. Why?”

“Make the child a new outfit,” he said gruffly. “And… you can help yourself to any of the fabric as well.”

Delighted at his thoughtfulness, she opened her mouth to thank him, but he was already striding away, his back rigid.

Sooni was equally delighted when she stumbled sleepily into the room a short time later. She immediately started conjuring up elaborate plans for her dress, and Willow gave her a regretful smile.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I’m not that good a seamstress. It will have to be a simple dress.”

“That’s all right.” The little girl gave her a sunny smile and stroked the fabric reverently. “It’s still going to be beautiful.”

They hurried through the morning meal, then set to work. She showed Sooni how to measure and cut the fabric, then sew the pieces together using the sewing kit that Wraith had left for her. Thankfully, it contained a small handheld machine that created a neat seam when two pieces of fabric were fed through it. Without it, she was sure the results would have been a lot more haphazard.

After she finished Sooni’s dress, she searched through the box for some fabric to make her own dress, finally settling on a length of bronze silk. There was nothing fancy about it but the color appealed to her and it was cool and silky against her skin.

As the ship’s artificial day cycle dimmed to evening, Sooni twirled in her new outfit, her scales shimmering under the soft lights. She spotted Wraith in the corridor and went dancing over to him.

“Look what Willow made me! Isn’t it pretty?”

He paused, his face unusually soft as he looked down at the happy child.

“It suits you,” he said.

Sooni preened under the praise, then gave Willow a mischievous look before turning back to him.

“What about Willow’s new dress?” she demanded. “Doesn’t she look beautiful?”

Her cheeks heated as his gaze swept over her. The dress wasn’t anything fancy – just a simple sheath that took advantage of the soft, flowing fabric - but under his intense scrutiny, she felt exposed in a way that had nothing to do with the cut of the dress. Her nipples tightened beneath the silky fabric and his eyes lingered there for a second before returning to her face.

Her breath caught at the heat in her eyes, her pulse racing, but then he looked away.

“She always looks beautiful,” he said, his voice low and rough. Then he turned on his heel and strode away, leaving her staring after him.

Much later that night she returned to the common area. Once again she’d been unable to sleep and she’d finally given up and decided to see if a hot drink would help. She hesitated when she saw Wraith sitting in the darkened room. She’d assumed he would be in his bed, or in the cockpit as usual.

Instead he was sitting on the couch with his eyes closed. She considered retreating, but something in his posture tugged at her heart.

Taking a deep breath, she approached him.

“Can’t sleep either?” she asked softly.

His eyes opened, gleaming purple in the dim light. He looked at her for a long moment, then shrugged.

“I don’t sleep much.”

She was tempted to sit down next to him, but decided the nearby chair was safer. She curled up in it, tucking her bare legs under her as the silence stretched between them, not uncomfortable exactly, but… expectant.

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