Astrophysical (completed)

Chapter 4

"Ash... Oh Ash... Captain... Hello..."

Cassie stirred from a heavy sleep, though she was still warm and drowsy. Her eyelids felt heavy along with her muscles, but she heard something which is what woke her up in the first place. There was nothing now though, so she readjusted her head. As she closed her eyes though, her brain began to realize this was not a surface she was used to, and she began to wake up more.

She flexed one of her hands and rested her palm on a warm, but firm surface. She opened her eyes again and focused on the door to her cabin. She was still in her room, but she seemed to be higher off her bed because she was viewing the door from a higher angle.

"Ash pick up! You're still on board, we know that much."

A soft moan emitted from the surface below her. Cassie realized all too quickly what, or more importantly, who she had been sleeping on. She raised her head and saw Ash shifting beneath her so he could reach his coat collar. He pressed it and turned his head towards it. In a voice that sounded like he was still half asleep, he said, "Ash here."

There was a pause before the commuter cut in again, Matt's bemused voice saying, "Good morning. Fell asleep there did ya? Well, you know we started to worry about what happened to you, but now that we know you were asleep the whole damn time, now we can relax. Oh, and yell at you. What the hell Ash?"

Ash groaned again, this time in annoyance. He rubbed his face and then touched the com link. "Sorry, I didn't sleep yesterday, and it caught up with me. I'll be up there in a little bit."

"Well, that's good news. Now could tell us where the hell you are coming from? We looked up and down the ship for you and you seem to be nowhere. Not in here, not in the atrium, your room, the training room, the observation room, the medical lab, the-"

"Shut it. I get it," Ash replied sighing. He opened his eyes finally and for the first time met Cassie's curious gaze. One thing that surprised her was his face flushed and he looked away from her before clearing his throat and saying, "I'm in..."

Cassie felt herself blush a little and then she pushed herself off him and onto the small bit of bed that was next to him. It was bittersweet though, because she immediately missed the warmth of his body, tightly wrapping her arms around herself. He waited for a moment before turning away from her and sitting on the edge of the bed.

He ran his hands through his hair, making it messier than it already was. "I will be up in a minute."

"Roger that, Cap," came Matt's voice, loaded with sarcasm.

Ash stood up and then looked back at Cassie. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." He wavered on his feet for a moment before heading back to the door and leaving through it.

Cassie lay there now watching the door for a moment in quiet. She remembered now crying on his shoulder and then feeling so tired from her lack of sleep that she drifted off while he still was with her. She wondered how long it had taken him to fall asleep. Although it was still a wonder that he even stayed at all.

The sheets next to her still showed where he had laid. She traced an outline of his frame still missing the warmth he had been radiating. She then felt herself blush again and quickly curled up the mattress. It was easy to admit that she had feelings for him, and they had grown thanks to his kindness from the night before. But was he feeling the same way about her? She sighed into her pillow and closed her eyes again hoping to shut off her brain and calm the butterflies in her stomach.