With a rueful smile, Ranger reaches into the front of his uniform and tugs out a chain of modest weight. In his palm rests a polished stone in a simple oval cut, set with a minimalist silver hoop. Lucas feels his eyes grow wide regarding it. The very name implies there’s pink somewhere, and there is, but the stone is shot through with bands of violet, freckles of onyx-black and deep blue scattered throughout like space debris in a vast nebula.
“It’s beautiful,” Lucas says quietly.
Ranger tucks the necklace back into his shirt. “It is. Was my gran’s, actually, so I decided to keep it instead of selling it. Gets me through the months by reminding me why I came up in the first place.” Then he sighs, spears the last of the greens in his bowl, and shoves them in his mouth, still smiling as he chews. He washes it down with a swig of water, then knocks his fist against the table and stands. “I gotta go check on Tim and your guy,” he says, standing. “If you’d like, I can take you down to see O’ and he can show you what raw vastpink looks like straight out of the asteroid.”
Lucas perks up. “That would be amazing.”
They clean their spots at the table, then set off. Lucas bounces down the lower-grav halls, grinning back when Ranger smiles, clearly amused. He leads them to an elevator, and they ride it to a lower level of the ship. As it descends, Lucas becomes aware of sudden sweat breaking out on his brow. He dabs at it with his sleeve, trying not to become disheveled while standing so close to Ranger, whose lovely dimples should be considered an intergalactic threat.
“Through here.” Ranger leads, navigating through a humid corridor until they enter a wide open room, in which they find Oliver standing over a worktable covered in raw gemstonesof varying sizes. “Hey O’, would you mind showing Captain Collingwood around for a bit? He’s interested in what we do here.”
Oliver is flushed, with the top three buttons of his uniform undone to expose his chest. While he’s not as broad or muscled as his twin, the wisps of dark chest hair peeking out from his loose white undershirt still draw Lucas’s eye.
“Sure,” Oliver says, sweeping a rag over his forehead, then stripping off a pair of gloves. “Thanks for coming down, Captain Collingwood.”
“You can just call me Lucas,” he corrects.
Before he can say anything else, Ranger sets one wide hand on Lucas’s head, ruffling his short waves of auburn hair. “Let me know if you need anything else, Lucas.” Then, with a wink and a salute for Oliver, Ranger struts through the exit.
The man’s easy affection and camaraderie is a relief, one Lucas hadn’t expected. Andi isn’t a touchy person, and aside from the occasional shoulder pat, elects against physical contact. Lucas wouldn’t demand physical reassurance any more than he’d pursue a subordinate or colleague, so after months of limited social interaction during his last assignment, he’s ended up remarkably touch starved.
“I hope you don’t mind the heat down here,” Oliver says in a low, almost melodic voice. “This is where I process newly mined vastpink, but it’s right by the engine room.”
Lucas is reminded of the fact that he slept in Oliver’s bed. His sheets smelled so good, Lucas almost asks if it’s a type of soap or if Oliver’s natural musk is just naturally addictive. He doesn’t want to humiliate himself, and so abstains.
“Ranger said you’d like to see the vastpink up close?”
Lucas nods, waiting for Oliver to toss his head, inviting Lucas closer. He tells himself he’s not going to pay attention to how Oliver smells, but the moment he gets close enough, Lucasinhales far less subtly than he means to. Fortunately Oliver doesn’t seem to notice, which is good, because otherwise he’d know why Lucas nearly swoons at the proximity.
Unlike Ranger, Oliver tests Lucas’s balance with only a brush of his shoulder. “Are you alright? Do you need water?”
“No—” Lucas says at first, then reconsiders. “Maybe.”
Oliver smiles sweetly. “One moment.”
He steps away, leaving Lucas to consider the raw gemstones. The rough, cloudy angles don’t allow for the same sparkle as Ranger’s pendant, but the chunks contain a different visual element, like staring at the stars through a telescope. Lucas brushes his fingers over one of the larger stones, then startles when Oliver reappears at his side with a cool metal bottle.
Lucas murmurs thanks, then drains the bottle in seconds. Oliver’s brows arch, and Lucas laughs awkwardly and shrugs. “Guess I was thirsty.”
“More?” he asks, fingers touching the water bottle, brushing Lucas’s.
Shaking his head, Lucas demurs, but neither of them move. Oliver has the same dark eyes as Poe, but the slight difference in height has Lucas tilting his chin up enough to feel exposed. “Thanks for letting me use your bed,” he says, unsure of why his voice is so quiet.
Oliver’s lips twitch. “It’s fine; I was happy to. Not the first time Poe and I have shared a bed.”
“How long have you two been, uh…”
“The twins?” Oliver laughs. “Since we were kids. It was obsession at first sight. One look and I felt like I was looking through a mirror to an alternate universe, and that was enough for Poe to superglue himself to my side.”
“We’ve been inseparable ever since,” says a voice behind them.
Lucas startles, but Oliver merely turns with a warm smile. “Don’t do that.”
“Sorry for scaring you,” Poe says, sauntering up. He throws an arm around his twin’s shoulders, grinning. “How’s it going? Not bored yet, Lucas?”
Another pulse of warmth runs through Lucas’s body. He presses the cool bottle against his cheek, distractedly reassuring Poe that he’s the opposite of bored, thanks to everyone’s consideration. It must not be very convincing, because the twins are regarding him with concern.
“Are you alright?” Oliver asks.