At least, out here in the big, wide universe, it's a lot easier to make an on-again, off-again relationship work than it would have been if they'd stayed in Marina. They have the space to be their own people. And yes, it has changed, of course it has, and he's okay with that, or at least he thinks he is. They probably do need to have a talk about that. But perhaps, in a way, they've progressed to something more like friends with benefits but, contrary to what some might believe, right now it's the friend part Jack's far more interested in: the company of someone who understands him better than probably anyone else in the universe, who can understand what this has done to him, what it does to him every single time.

He lets out a breath, steeling himself to say it. "The ship blew up. They were on board."