"It's freezing."

"What?" Thomas nudged his head around to look at me.

"I said it's freezing." Huddling in a corner, I hoped the cement would somehow warm me. The thin blanket I was provided wasn't exactly making me sweat. "God I swear I'm gonna freeze my nuts off."

"Oh." Thomas was in the corner diagonal from mine, farthest he could be from me. "Well here." He unwrapped himself of his blanket, offering it to me in his fist. He was so nice. Kind. What in the world made some humans so good? Maybe I could use some of it.

"No no I couldn't." I denied his provision. He needed it too. I wasn't about to just take it from him.

"Is it because you'll get in trouble with Gally?" He asked, his arm relaxing. "That why you can't take it?" I pushed his hand away lightly, hoping he'd take it back.

"No, I just don't want you to be cold either Major Tom. Gally doesn't control me." Hugging my knees, I rubbed my legs. Hoping for any friction or heat. All I got was shivers, goosebumps swelling onto my skin. Thomas seemed to have enough when my teeth chattered. It was involuntary. I couldn't fucking help it. He didn't seem to care though.

"Here." Very carefully, making sure not to let his hands make any contact with me, he bundled me up with his blanket. When he was finished he rose to his feet, standing above me.

"You shouldn't be such a good person." I grumbled, clutching the blankets close. "People will take advantage of you."

"Who? People like you?" He chuckled, fog billowing from his breath.

"Yes." Tugging on his pant leg, I got him down to the floor. Next to me. His eyes bugged out as I tossed the blankets over the both of us. "There's no reason for us not to share." I looped my arm around his, his warmth washing over me. The same wide eyes were stuck onto his face. Stiff at my touch. "Unless, you don't want to?"

"It's just that Gally said if I touched you he'd kill me." Of course he did. Oh Gally. Thomas's lips were rugged and chapped from the cold, side eying me. Waiting to see my next move.

"Well we can't have that. You just got here. I just won't touch you then." With that I unstuck my skin off of his, pressing myself as much as I could against the wall. His coffee colored eyes fell, huddling near me.

Without touching.

"Do you wanna get out of here y/n?"

"What do you think?" I asked sarcastically. He looked me up and down, trying to decide it for himself.

"I dunno. You seem like a free spirit or something like that. But you love Gally, right?" This had to have been the third time he checked.

"Right."

"Even though he's a dick?"

"Yeah. I'm a bitch so we're kind of perfect for each other."An owl hooted in the distance. Quiet had settled on the glade."Are you scared shitless about being a runner tomorrow Major Tom?"

"No, just excited. Maybe nervous." Thomas grinned, perplexed brows crowning his face. "Hey, why do you call me major Tom?" A faint memory of a song swam through my mind.

"Space Oddity by David Bowie. You should listen to it some time. It says your name in it."

"Really?"

"Mhm Major Tom, an astronaut that makes it to space before dying a presumably suffocating death."

"Sounds nice." His eyes crinkled with mischief. "How does it go?" A sense of pride of swelled in me. I was the only one who knew how the song went. The only one to hear the gospel of Bowie.

"Well I'm not a much of a singer..." I smirked, shrugging him off. He pressed on to convince me.

"Come on y/n just sing a little of it-"

(Go listen to Space Oddity right now!)

"Well if you insist." I blurted, cutting him off without hesitation. My chest puffed out, starting the song out at a low whisper to not disturb the others. "First there's some guitar strumming, then Bowie comes in with ground control to Major Tom." He was thoroughly entertained already. All troubles fading away. "Take your protein pills and put your helmet on." I pointed at his chest, combining with the background counting. "Three, two, one, lift off." I continued my rendition probably getting too much into it. Not too much for Thomas though, he smiled and laughed as I got to my feet. Spinning around to the non existent music. "Ground control to Major Tom, your circuits dead there's something wrong!" He picked up my hand twirling me around. I laughed out the rest of the lines as he held onto my shoulders. He was so happy. Even momentarily. I was glad I could do that. Made me feel good. "Can you hear me Major Tom?!" I warbled out shaking him around playfully. He tried to sing with me. Key word tried. "Planet earth is blue and there's nothing I can do!" The glow of fire filled the dark cell. His hand sliding onto my cheek. He leaned down, eyes closed. Lips coming closer to mine. "Thomas." I snapped, halting him with a hand on his chest.

"What?" He stopped, inches away.

"You're touching me."

"Right." His face burned a bright beet red, mumbling a dejected. "Sorry." Thomas's hands withered away from me.

"It's alright." I reassured, skirting around him to my original spot. "We should uh get some rest anyways." Sliding down the wall, I crossed my arms and legs. Covering myself with only my own blanket.

I had done it again. Why did everyone want to kiss me? Why does this keep happening? I just want to be with Gally. Just him. Why can't anyone understand that?! Frustrated I leaned my against the wall, wishing I was with Gally. Wishing I hadn't been so stupid.

"I'm sorry." Thomas stammered, shrinking into his wall. "I'm really really sorry."

"It's fine Thomas." I murmured. "Things have been crazy and I was nice to you. You probably just got confused. I'm fine okay, don't worry about me."

"Are you gonna tell Gally?"

"Do you think I'm stupid? Of course not. He'd fucking flip his top." He really would too. Gally hated Zart but he despised Thomas with all of his being. If he found out what Thomas had tried he would legitimately kill him. I had zero doubt.

"I'm sorry."

"I accept your apology, now let's just sleep it off."

He was quiet then...for about a minute.

"Are you scared about the box not going back down like everyone else?" That's right. Since Teresa's arrival it hadn't receded like it usually did.

"I don't love it but hey maybe it's just sick of being down in the elevator shaft all the time." I reasoned, my irrational explanation probably made zero sense.

"Teresa told me she recognized you, by your face. Didn't know your name like she knew mine though." I didn't respond, I was too busy picking at the wall. Maybe the stone would come corroding down on top of me. No I wasn't that lucky. "We talked about our dreams. How we kept hearing a woman." My ears pricked up. Woman in their dreams. Like me?! I scooted over to crane my head around the janky chair, Thomas's eyes met mine, noticing my interest.

"A woman? Was she saying anything?" I couldn't seem to notice the gap between us closing in.

"Wicked is-"

"Good." We stared at each other in amazement. "Wicked is good, holy fuck." I cursed, a hand slipping over my mouth.

"Yeah! I saw you in my dream too. You and Teresa, the both of you." He got onto his knees, leaning his chest against the chair.

"What was I doing?"

"You were being dragged away by these people, having a fit. You were moving all around and crying. You wanted me to help you." He looked down, propping himself up with his elbows. "But I never did." Thomas said regrettably. "I just watched you."

"Thanks for the help." I joked, the words coming out roughly.

"Any time." He gave a soft smile, the torch's fire turning his eyes an amber gold. My lids began to droop, fighting against sleep. Chin settled on the chair's wooden seat. I gave in, withdrawing into my blanket. Thomas scrutinized me, face contorting as he stared. "Y/n?"

"Yeah?" I replied, slurred by sleep.

"What are you going to do if we have to leave?" The question was too much for my brain, sledgehammering the neurons. "What if Gally doesn't want to go?"

Flames crackled from the torch.

"Less talk more sleep Major Tom."