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“Ryland?” A sweet melody woke him up. Grace had always been a light sleeper, but he could sleep anywhere he could.
He opened his eyes with Eva Stratt's blue eyes staring at him, fully awake.
“Eva? Ugh, what’s up?” He’s on her sofa, rubbing his sleep away as he registers his surroundings. Ah yes, he was waiting for her. But her meetings were endless, and Ryland Grace is a very patient man. Sleeping for a bit was also a very viable option while he waits for her.
Eva smiled, reaching her eyes in ways that always stirred his heart. She stood up and pulled his arms to help him stand.
“Come on, I’m hungry.”
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Eva Stratt was at the brink of explosion while they basically ransacked the kitchen pantry. There’s a mess hall, but that’s like on the opposite side of where they are. This kitchen is the only hope they have for any substance.
Which is why Ryland understood Eva’s frustration as she rummaged through the pantry shelves like a hungry raccoon.
“Man,” Ryland looked at the pantry, just empty paper cups and paper plates. “I’m sorry, Eva. I forgot to keep some of the snacks from dinner before.”
Eva sighed and sat for a bit, sipping the coffee she still had. But Ryland took that away from her and exchanged it for water.
“Ryland, please, at least let me have my coffee back?” she pleaded with those eyes that she rarely showed. Blue like the sea and hopeless for food.
Ryland sighed and told her, “No coffee, ma’am. You promised me no more coffee until work hours?”
Eva stared at him intensely before admitting, “Fine.” Sipping the water finally.
Well, he had some ideas. So he took his phone and worked on them.
Eva, still upset at first, didn’t notice him, but Ryland not moving to find her food kind of made her more frustrated.
“Does the phone solve my hunger, Ryland? Because if not, you will let me have my coffee back.” Eva tried to reach for the coffee from Ryland’s idle hand, but he moved it far back.
As he smiled at her widely, like he had found a star for her.
“I have something. Stay here.”
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.
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“I told you, I don’t have any alcohol!”
“Then no agreement—”
“Ilyukhina, look—” as Ryland stopped the cosmonaut Ilyukhina from closing her door.
“Isn’t it unfair for two packets of ramen to be exchanged for vodka?”
Ilyukhina shook her head. “We are living on a ship, yes, Dr. Grace? It is very hard to smuggle these packets of ramen. I have to go through double the security than any of the people here.”
Grace sighed again, still holding the door open while he made his calculation. Ilyukhina made a good argument. They are being monitored very closely. For Ilyukhina, she has a very strict diet to prepare for the journey. That’s why she keeps asking for alcohol, because Grace knows that any alcohol she brings will be taken away for the sake of her health. Ilyukhina probably has her ways to smuggle these ramen noodles.
It’s worth a shot, as he reminds himself Carl has a few boxes of Corona in his bunk.
“I could get you some Corona?”
“Да ты издеваешься—” Ilyukhina was definitely disappointed and tried to close the door again.
But Grace had lost his option. “Pleaseee, it’s for Eva. She’s hungry. I will try to get you vodka, but at the end of the week?”
Ilyukhina stopped. “Director Eva Stratt?”
Grace nodded, still unsure why suddenly the air shifted.
Ilyukhina smiled mischievously and played with her expression. Oh no.
“I will give you all my ramen. If—”
Ryland was about to jump to the sky, and he would especially when he made the best ramen for Eva after this.
“If you only hold the Director’s hand tomorrow during breakfast.”
Oh, is that it?
“Okay!!!!!”
Ryland Grace got his packets of ramen in an instant.
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.
.
Eva was slurping the noodles nonstop. Grace had to tell her to slow down once in a while.
But she’s satisfied, and Grace is happy enough to feed her.
As she finished, Eva Stratt kissed him on the lips and snuggled up to him.
“Best ramen ever.”
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.
Fuck, how can he tell Eva they have to hold hands tomorrow?