"The captain and the first mate are doing what they are for their own reasons, Jason. So am I. None of us are perfect."

"You're not selfish, greedy monsters, either," Jason said.

"No. And you're pretty decent as well. Um…we're supposed to sleep in here tonight, and block the door. Help me move some things." They got a couple of crates across the door, then Kira sighed. "I'm kind of worn out."

"Yeah, me, too. Long day moving cargo and then this. Emotional strain, I guess," Jason said. "I'll go over there and sleep."

Kira found a spot on the other side of the hold, bringing the lantern with her. "Are you ready?" She put out the light, causing total darkness to fall.

Getting comfortable on the hard wood and jumble of crates proved to be not just difficult but also impossible. Kira finally gave up, staring into the darkness and realizing that if Jason hadn't apologized for the time they were jammed close together, if he had shown any delight at the experience, she wouldn't have felt at ease sleeping alone in here with him. Which caused her to realize that she had never asked him about his own feelings. "Jason? How hard was it on you? Were you uncomfortable in there, too?"

"Yeah," he replied in a low voice from the other side of the hold. "I mean, dark, confined space, and what felt like a Kira-shaped statue lying on me."

"I was that tense?"

"Yeah, like solid rock. And then, we were in that little space and so close together, and, well, I know neither one of us has had any chance to take a bath or a shower for a while—"

"Jason, don't go there."

"Um…right. Anyway, between the physical discomfort and knowing how unhappy you were, it wasn't any fun."

Kira looked into the dark, where her imagination created swirling shapes. "Are all boys from Urth like that? Do they all respect girls' bodies and choices?"

"No," Jason said again. "I mean, lots of guys do care about that, but there are also some who like forcing things. A friend of mine got assaulted once. I'll never forget how miserable she was."

"That's awful."

"Yeah. I never want to be the reason somebody feels like that."

"Good for you," Kira said. "She was a friend? Have you had girlfriends? On Urth?"

"No. Not really," Jason said. "I mean, friends who are girls. But not real girlfriends. Uh," Jason continued, trying to sound casual despite the tension that Kira heard in his voice, "what about you? Boyfriends?"

"Not really," Kira replied, deliberately echoing him. "A couple of guys I thought maybe could be someone but weren't, and…" She sighed. "One guy I liked a lot. A couple years older than me. I thought he really liked me."

"What happened?"