Steam hangs thick over the basin, softening the lantern light into gold. Kael and Emma stand close, the washroom door half-latched behind them, while the ship gives a low, sleepy groan beneath their feet.
Emma tips her chin up to him, a faint smile tugging at her mouth, and Kael meets her with a brief, quiet kiss. The moment is still, almost shy, as the basin breathes warm mist around them.
Outside, Miles presses her eye to the keyhole. Her breath catches, and she freezes with one hand against the doorframe as if the whole corridor has gone hushed for her alone.
Miles
So that is why she watches him like that.
The floorboards quiver again, a harmless shiver through the ship. Inside, Emma eases back just enough to look at Kael, her posture loosening with trust rather than caution.
Emma
You should sit a moment, captain. The steam suits you more than the strain does.
Beyond the door, Miles remains perfectly still, torn between retreat and fascination, while the washroom settles into a warm, private calm.