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Raleigh's eyes fluttered open in the dark of her bunk. She lay there quietly for a moment, trying to figure out what had pulled her from sleep. The clinks and clanks of the Hong Kong shatterdome's activity continued at all hours, but they were background noise by now to Raleigh, who had now spent more than a third of her life in the barracks. No, something external hadn't woken her.
Sighing softly, she sat up, rolling her neck to work out the cracks and kinks. For a moment, she considered the sweatshirt emblazoned with Gipsy Danger's logo, as the thin white cotton of her tanktop did little to block out the chill air, but shook her head and planted her bare feet on the metal grating that served as a floor.
A small passageway separated Raleigh's quarters from Mako's. She rarely locked her door--in the environment of the Shatterdome, secrets never stayed secret for long--so Raleigh only had to take two short steps and then ease the heavy riveted metal door open to gain access. Across the small room, Mako whimpered softly as she tossed and turned in her bed. Raleigh closed the distance between them swiftly and lowered herself onto the hard mattress. Almost as soon as her skin made contact with Mako's, her co-pilot stilled, her breathing evening out into the soft, gentle rhythm of pleasant sleep. The panic in the back of Raleigh's brain--Mako's panic, the bond between them still strong though they hadn't drifted properly in days--began to settle, the choppy ocean of Mako's thoughts evening out into gentle waves.
Raleigh lay down and fitted herself against Mako's back, tucking her knees behind Mako's and wrapping her arms around her. She pressed her face into the back of Mako's neck, nosing aside the fine black strands of Mako's hair until she could breathe in the scent of her skin. "Shhhh," Raleigh murmured, trying to project calm and happy thoughts to her partner. The strength of the bond had waned enough that she couldn't tell exactly what had upset Mako, but Raleigh knew enough. The Drift that made them allowed them to fight for the world also forced them to share their most horrible memories and nightmares.
But the Drift also allowed Raleigh to sense when Mako needed her, so she thanked whatever god might be listening for it. Raleigh loved Mako like she had never loved anyone before, not the string of boy- and girl-toys she'd had while riding high as a cock-sure jaeger pilot, not even Yancy. It went beyond the physical (though Raleigh didn't deny that Mako was beautiful as well as brilliant), into the very depths of what made Mako, Mako. Raleigh knew every single nook and cranny of Mako's mind, yet every day she learned something new.
Raleigh's eyelids drooped, sleep reaching up to drag her back under. She smiled drowsily as Mako shifted in her arms, fingers worming up to tangle with Raleigh's, a silent acceptance of Raleigh's place in her heart and her bed. She fell asleep to the soft sounds of Mako's breathing, and the surity of knowing Raleigh was where she was supposed to be.