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Ender shivered, feeling for the bathroom door, but instead his hand met something soft, warm, and smooth. He recoiled, visions of giant's eyes and bugger shells filling his mind. He shuddered again with cold and fright. He struck out blindly with his hand. It connected with something with a slap.
"Ow!" a shout came from the darkness. "Who is that?!" the voice exclaimed. With a sigh of relief, Ender recognized his best friend Alai's voice. He sensed Alai was close to him. He reached out a hand, feeling for Alai's shoulder. He found it, higher up than he remembered.
"It's alright, it's me, Ender" he whispered.
"What you doing in the dark, pinprick?" came from the blackness.
Ender raised his eyebrows, forgetting Alai could not see him. "Pissing, what you doing?"
"I couldn't sleep," said Alai. Ender sensed his friend was embarrassed. "And you?"
"I slept and wished I hadn't," Ender admitted.
"Bad dream, neh?"
"Eh." They stood in silence, not sure what to say next. "Would--" they both said. Ender smiled in the darkness, happy in the knowledge that Alai was smiling too.
"Well?" Alai said. "I'm waiting."
"Would you like to come back to my cabin?" Ender felt Alai's hesitation. This was a crucial moment. Alai's decision would affect the future of their friendship.
"Alright." Alai flipped on the light, remembered they were both skin, and flicked it off again.
"Should I get my clothes?" Ender asked.
"Naw, s'alright."
"And the light?"
"Oh, come on, everyone skin in team barracks," Alai reassured him.
"We not even supposed to piss next to each other, what if someone clever find us talking, skin, what they gonna think?"
"Why you want the light on anyway, you scared?" demanded Alai.
"You turn the light on, I tell you my dream."
"Yeah?" The light flickered on, revealing Alai's broad grin.
"First there were the buggers, but then you were there--"
"I a nightmare? What you saying?" Alai's brow furrowed.
"--and you kissed me, you said salaam"--Alai flushed--"but...you kissed me here," and Ender pressed his lips to Alai's and whispered "salaam," and Alai wrapped his arms around Ender and they slept until the morning.